The Men in Blue goes on to make the 71st Republic Day of India most memorable one as they clinch the second T20I game against New Zealand in Auckland. The Indian opener and part-time wicketkeeper, KL Rahul put up a grand show to hand India seven-wicket victory against the hosts.
Against all the odds in New Zealand, India has been able to keep going on to emerge as the ultimate winning side in every game. With the amount of cricket the Virat Kohli & Co. have been involved in, one may expect them to lose their strings in a game. However, so far, it has been the right opposite for Team India.
Opting to bat first, Martin Guptill and Colin Munro opened the innings with a great start for the Black Caps. However, the Indian bowling combination made it difficult for the opposing batsmen from time to time.
Within the ten overs, New Zealand had lost three top-most batsmen. And then a fine catch of the skipper Kane Williamson by Yuzvendra Chahal at long-leg added miseries for the hosts.
After Williamson, Indian bowlers dominated and created an ultimate pressure on the opposing batsmen. In the remaining seven overs, Tim Seifert and Ross Taylor were able to score just 34 more runs. Taylor returned to the pavilion after facing the fourth bowl of the last over.
New Zealand vs India 2020: Gritty-fifty from KL Rahul help India ease past Kiwis in 2nd T20I:
However, like the first T20I game, India had another bad start to their innings when opener Rohit Sharma was caught by Ross Taylor at the wide slip. Skipper Virat Kohli scored just 11 runs before Seifert claimed a good catch behind the stumps.
Nevertheless, one batsman remained constant throughout the ups and downs in the game. Rahul maintained his stance on the crease and went to build a fine partnership with Shreyas Iyer. Iyer who scored 44 runs was caught by Tim Southee in the 17th over.
Rahul’s match-winning fifty had earned him Player of the Match award. During the post-match presentation, Rahul said that keeping in mind the requirement of the team has been his mantra lately. He said that having both Rohit and Kohli out at the very start of the game meant that he had to stick on the crease no matter what.
“Obviously different circumstances, the target was different and the pitch was different from what we played on a couple of days before. I knew what I had to do, I couldn’t play the same way. I had a different responsibility. We lost Rohit and Kohli early, so I had to stay in there.
Understanding of the game helps: KL Rahul
I don’t really know what to say about that (the consistent run of scores). The understanding of my game and reading my game has helped me to be more consistent. I always need to keep the team ahead and what the team requires. I have come up with the right shots and the right answers. That’s been my mantra over the last few games and in the T20 format,” said the Player of the Match.
Nevertheless, it had been an amazing day for Kohli & his men as they now lead the series by 2-0. The third game will be of the utmost importance as it could earn India the series win if they keep up the good teamwork.
Meanwhile, New Zealand will be aiming to work on their game tactics to make a strong comeback. The 3rd T20I game will be played on Wednesday (January 29) at the Seddon Park in Hamilton.