Tilak Varma delivered another clutch performance to lead India’s comeback win against New Zealand in the second T20I at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday.

India stood at 70/5 after 10.5 overs when Tilak smashed an unbeaten 51 off just 26 balls to turn the game around. His explosive knock guided India to a thrilling four-wicket victory as the visitors chased down New Zealand’s 180 with one ball to spare.

Nitish Kumar Reddy also played a crucial role, scoring an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls before hitting the winning runs off Jacob Duffy’s fifth delivery in the final over. The victory gave India a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Tilak and Nitish outshone Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips, who had helped New Zealand build a competitive total and put India under pressure. Santner exploited the spin-friendly conditions to claim four wickets for 21 runs. The slow surface also helped the pace bowlers, making run-scoring difficult on the same pitch that had witnessed India chase 226 in the series opener.

Earlier, Phillips smashed 70 off 43 balls, while Bevon Jacobs contributed 58 off 46 deliveries to help New Zealand post 180/5 on a challenging surface.

India began the chase with eight consecutive dot balls as Matt Henry bowled a maiden over to Sanju Samson, beating the batter’s bat three times. Abhishek Sharma broke the silence on the ninth delivery but soon miscued a shot against Jacob Duffy towards deep point.

Abhishek could have departed for just one run when Nathan Smith caught him at deep square leg in Duffy’s second over. However, Duffy overstepped, and the umpire called a no-ball to give the Indian opener another chance.

Abhishek capitalised immediately, hitting a four off the next delivery. India accelerated to 37 without loss in four overs after the difficult start.

New Zealand soon regained control as Duffy dismissed Samson for 14 with a slower delivery that the batter hit straight to cover. Returning batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also failed to make an impact, scoring just four off eight balls before Daryl Mitchell took a sharp catch at cover off Nathan Smith.

Captain Santner then strengthened New Zealand’s grip on the contest. He dismissed Abhishek in his first over when the batter failed to clear deep mid-wicket. Santner struck twice more in the 11th over, removing Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel to leave India struggling at 71/5.

Naman Dhir fought back with an aggressive 31 off 17 balls to keep India in the contest. Although Bevon Jacobs dropped a straightforward catch at point, Dhir made New Zealand pay for the mistake. He also attacked Michael Bracewell in the 14th over, smashing a six and a four.

Santner ended Dhir’s resistance in his final over to complete his four-wicket haul, leaving India with a steep challenge. However, Nitish joined Tilak at the crease, and the pair refused to surrender.

India needed 46 runs from the final 18 balls when Nitish and Tilak attacked Duffy for 17 runs in his third over. Tilak opened the 18th over with consecutive fours, benefiting from a misfield by Glenn Phillips at deep mid-wicket.

The Indian vice-captain continued his assault, pulling a crucial four before launching a six to finish the over. Their late surge reduced the target to 11 runs from the final six balls.

Duffy bowled the final over with New Zealand forced to bring an extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle because of a slow over rate. Tilak struck a boundary through cover off the second ball and reached his half-century with a couple on the next delivery.

Tilak showed his frustration when Nitish declined a tight second run, but Nitish made amends by hitting a double towards deep backward square leg off the penultimate ball to seal the victory.

Earlier, Phillips and Jacobs had rescued New Zealand after the hosts lost three wickets for just 41 runs in 5.2 overs. Phillips scored 70 off 43 balls, while Jacobs made 58 off 46 deliveries as they stitched together a 116-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

The pair rebuilt the innings on the same surface that had hosted the high-scoring opening T20I. However, the pitch offered greater assistance to bowlers this time, as batters struggled to score against hard lengths.

India’s bowlers exploited the conditions with disciplined spells, particularly during the powerplay and at the death. Arshdeep Singh claimed two wickets, helping restrict New Zealand to 180/5.

The hosts posted a competitive total, but Tilak and Nitish’s late assault ensured India crossed the finish line to strengthen their lead in the series.

Brief Scores:
New Zealand 180/5 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 70, Bevon Jacobs 58; Arshdeep Singh 2-33, Prince Yadav 1-30)
India 181/6 in 19.5 overs (Tilak Varma 51, Naman Dhir 31; Mitchell Santner 4-21, Nathan Smith 1-34)