India vs New Zealand, Highlights, 2nd T20I in Auckland, Full Cricket Score: Men in Blue grab 2-0 series lead with seven-wicket win

KL Rahul is the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 57

Rahul: Obviously different circumstances. I knew what I had to do, and knew I couldn’t do it the same way as two days ago. We had lost seniors Rohit and Kohli early, and I had to stay in and finish the game. How I read the situation and read the game, that has gotten better. More often than not, I have come up with the right shots.

Food for thought
 

Who else thinks both New Zealand and England would have been crying had Shreyas Iyer played the World Cup?#NZvsIND

— Rohit Sankar (@imRohit_SN) January 26, 2020

Jadeja’s spell was instrumental in restricting the Black Caps to less than 140

Fine knocks by Rahul and Iyer, but my MOM today @imjadeja for choking the New Zealand batting, giving away very few runs and picking up wickets too. Agree?

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) January 26, 2020

What a run KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are having!

Clinical from India. 2-0 and now we can seriously start thinking of a series win. This was a top effort.
@klrahul11 is easily one of the best T20 players in the world on current form. Excellent from @ShreyasIyer15 yet again.

— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) January 26, 2020

Did you know?

— This is the first time that India have beaten New Zealand in two consecutive T20Is.

— KL Rahul’s last five T20I innings:

91, 45, 54, 56, 57* (Today)

New Zealand players with 50-plus wickets in T20Is:

Tim Southee
Nathan McCullum
Mitchell Santner
Ish Sodhi*

The Black Cap with the most impact in this game

Southee catching is underrated. Have seen many wonderful catches. #NZvIND

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 26, 2020

After 17 overs,India 127/3 ( KL Rahul (W) 56 , Shivam Dube 1)

Mere formalities left in the match but New Zealand have been able to pick up one more wicket in form of Iyer, who missed a fifty. Going unbeaten would have surely helped Iyer’s confidence but he has done his job at least in this match. Dube joins Rahul in the middle. The next over should see India go 2-0 up in the series. They just need 6 runs off 18 balls.

After 16 overs,India 117/2 ( KL Rahul (W) 54 , Shreyas Iyer 38)

Iyer and Rahul join hands to make short work of the total now. They had a good look at the ball and did not take risks for a while but now they are beginning to unleash and if the continue like this, it would not take much to hit the remaining 16 runs. There are still 24 balls left.

Did you know?

This is KL Rahul’s fourth consecutive 45-plus score while chasing in T20Is.

After 15 overs,India 103/2 ( KL Rahul (W) 52 , Shreyas Iyer 26)

Rahul’s red hot form continues and like every batsman who wants some luck on his side, he has some for himself as well as the top edge flew for six over third man. The next ball though was hit to deep extra cover in style by Rahul to bring up his fifty, second in the series. In the last two overs, hosts have fielded badly and that has helped the India cause a lot. India need 30 runs in 30 balls. This should be easy.

After 14 overs,India 87/2 ( KL Rahul (W) 42 , Shreyas Iyer 25)

Tickner comes back to bowl his second over. Two of India’s young but mature batsmen displaying some school boy cricket attitude while running between the wickets. New Zealand had two chances of running both the batsmen out, once at the non-striker’s end and then at the batsman’s end but luck seems to be on their side. Need to buckle up and not give a wicket away here in this fashion. Kiwis would be disappointed at not being able to convert these chances into wickets. India need 46 runs in 36 balls.

After 13 overs,India 82/2 ( KL Rahul (W) 41 , Shreyas Iyer 21)

Santner continues. Starts off with a shortish ball, Rahul his him for two runs at covers. Rahul is now looking good in rotating the strike. He is 41 off 40 balls, just the kind of knock someone at the top was required to play on this track. India need 51 runs in 42 balls.

Good drivers of vehicles are India’s young brigade

K L Rahul Shreyas Iyer Manish Pande must be good drivers of vehicles. They change the gear & maneuver the vehicle nicely to reach the destination without any problems. Skill has to be backed by the mindset is what being shown subtly. An odd failure mean nothing to them.

— Makarand Waingankar (@wmakarand) January 26, 2020

After 12 overs,India 76/2 ( KL Rahul (W) 36 , Shreyas Iyer 20)

Sodhi continues. Tickner does well to cut off two runs at the ropes with a dive. Iyer was eyeing the length ball and when he got it from Sodhi, he hit it for six runs. That will do for now and it lessens the pressure a bit. Boundaries are hard to come by, so the Indians need to rotate the strike more often. Williamson may be needs to change the pace on the ball now. India need 57 runs in 48 balls.

The pair’s crucial to India’s hopes in this game

Good test for Rahul and Shreyas. To win from here on this surface is the sign of a quality player.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 26, 2020

After 11 overs,India 63/2 ( KL Rahul (W) 34 , Shreyas Iyer 10)

Santner continues and two back to back good overs from New Zealand’s perspective. Just 3 off this over as well and yet again Rahul caught in the crease, not being able to rotate the strike. He has been the better player among the two and Kiwis are creating pressure on him steadily and slowly. India need 70 runs in 54 balls.

After 10 overs,India 60/2 ( KL Rahul (W) 33 , Shreyas Iyer 8)

Sodhi continues. Starts off with a short stuff and Iyer collects 1 to long on and after that sliders after sliders. Four dots to Rahul after Iyer collected 1 at deep mid-wicket. These dots will create pressure. Just 3 runs off the over. India need 73 runs in 60 balls.

After 9 overs,India 57/2 ( KL Rahul (W) 32 , Shreyas Iyer 6)

Santner continues. KL Rahul takes a single off the first ball to bring up India’s fifty in this chase. Rahul is the key here and he will like to have Iyer’s company for some time for sure. He is playing proper cricket shots, scoring at a decent rate as well. 8 runs from the over. India need 76 runs in 66 balls.

After 8 overs,India 49/2 ( KL Rahul (W) 26 , Shreyas Iyer 4)

Alright, so spin from both the ends as Ish Sodhi, right-arm leg break, comes to bowl. He will look to bowl the sliders. But he needs to attack the wickets more just like Chahal. The pace is no more on the ball and India have not got boundaries for some time, there is something brewing at the moment. India need 84 runs in 72 balls.

Rahul and Iyer have a crucial role to play in this context

India need a big over to not let the gap get too big. Does not look a deck to come in and bash.

— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) January 26, 2020

After 7 overs,India 42/2 ( KL Rahul (W) 21 , Shreyas Iyer 2)

First sight of spin from Kiwis as Mitchell Santner, Left arm orthodox, brought into the attack. Started off with two shortish deliveries and then went fuller and wider to ask the batsmen to reach out to the ball to hit. There is a chance on this track for wickets if you bowl slow and wide, asking the batsmen to do all the hard work and bring power into play. Just 2 off the first over of Santner. Terrific stuff. India need 91 runs in 78 balls.

After 6 overs,India 40/2 ( KL Rahul (W) 20 , Shreyas Iyer 1)

Southee has delivered. He got his third over on the run and this was a big risk in this New Zealand bowling line up without Ferguson and Boult but Kane Williamson’s risk has paid off with Kohli back in the hut. Iyer is the new man in and he is already looking to shuffle in his crease to distract the bowler. Gets off the mark with a punch to the off side on the last ball of the over. End of powerplay and India are 42 for 2, need 93 runs in 84 balls.

After 5 overs,India 39/1 ( KL Rahul (W) 20 , Virat Kohli (C) 11)

Blair Tickner, right-arm fast medium, brought into the attack and welcomed by Kohli with a boundary off the first ball. Rahul looking in same old fine touch at the moment despite some deliveries troubling him previously. Gets a six in the over, using the pace of the ball. Such shots are always on on such track. 15 runs from the over.