India will look to clinch the series albeit with a more impactful batting performance from the middle-order in the second T20 International against New Zealand in Ranchi on Friday (November 19). For coach Rahul Dravid and skipper Rohit Sharma, there couldn’t be a better start than a series win against an old nemesis, which help them hit the right chord at the beginning of their partnership.
A superlative display by their top-order and controlled bowling at the back-end ensured a five-wicket victory against Black Caps, ending ‘Men in Blue’ seven-match losing streak across formats. For Rohit, before he gets a much-needed two and half week break from the game, he would like to close the deal at Ranchi and go for the jugular when the teams meet in Kolkata for the final game of the series.
In absence of Virat Kohli, currently on leave, Suryakumar Yadav made full use of the opportunity at number three with a match-winning 62 off 42 balls. While there is absolutely no necessity to press the panic button, but Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant’s scratchy batting did slightly mess up the chase although it was never out of control.
Shreyas, who is playing a match for India after a long break, did look rusty as he found it difficult to middle the ball. He also didnt look too keen on farming the strike with singles and twos when big shots weren’t coming off. Shreyas scored 5 off 8 balls before being dismissed in the penultimate over by Tim Southee, but thanks to India’s healthy run-rate the chase did not go out of their hands.
However silver-lining certainly was Suryakumar, whose precision hits delighted the capacity crowd at Sawai Man Singh Stadium.
With his concern about his form, the new management under Rohit and Rahul gave veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar a a lifeline after he was dropped due to indifferent form in their loss against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup.
We took the Royal Green Mic to training in Jaipur to catch up with the team ahead of the T20 Series against India. #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/hXqzBt0OyU
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) November 18, 2021
Although in bowling, there could be a forced change as Indian pacer Mohammad Siraj has suffered a split left webbing after being hit by Mitchell Santner in the final over of the New Zealand innings. With dew becoming a factor towards the evening, toss could also play a crucial role in a must-win match for the touring Black Caps.
If losing the toss was crucial for the visitors under Tim Southee, Mark Chapman (50-ball 63)’s return after being on the sidelines for seven months would be a bright spot for Kiwis. Southee would look for course correction from the bowling lineup which would be keen to restrict the flow of runs especially in the Powerplay.
Teams (from):
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel and Mohammad Siraj.
New Zealand: Tim Southee (captain), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert and Ish Sodhi.
When and what time will the second T20 match between India vs New Zealand start?
The second T20 match between India vs New Zealand begins on November 19 at 7PM IST with the toss taking place at 630pm.
Where will the second T20 match between India vs New Zealand take place?
The second T20 match between India vs New Zealand will be held at the JSCA international stadium in Ranchi.
Which channel will telecast the second T20 match between India vs New Zealand in India?
The second T20 match between India vs New Zealand will be available on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2 HD, and Star Sports Hindi.
How to watch the live streaming of the second T20 match between India vs New Zealand in India?
The second T20 match between India vs New Zealand will stream live on the Disney+Hotsar app and website.
