Team India took a sigh of relief after registering a six-wicket win over New Zealand in the second T20I, to level the three-match series 1-1. Asked to bowl first, the Hardik Pandya-led side completely dominated the visitors and restricted them to 99/8, after the contribution from the entire bowling unit. However, the hosts stumbled a bit in the chase as they lost their openers Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan with only 46 runs on the board. Later, Suryakumar Yadav anchored the innings with Hardik Pandya and took the team across the line with one ball to spare.
After leveling the series 1-1, Suryakumar got engaged in a hilarious banter with Yuzvendra Chahal, where the right-arm spinner took the credit for being his batting coach.
In the video shared on BCCI.tv, Chahal asked Suryakumar, “I have taught you to play 370 degrees, but this was a very different wicket, Did you watch my red-ball video at the Ranji Trophy?”
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Suryakumar replied, “Actually, I kept in mind what you had taught me in the last series. And I would like you to teach me more about batting and how I can improve. Viewers, please listen carefully, don’t take it as a joke, our brother is the batting coach here. He teaches me everything.”
The video also featured spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who congratulated Chahal on becoming the leading wicket-taker for India in T20Is. Chahal scalped one wicket in the second T20I against New Zealand and took his wicket tally to 91 and surpassed Bhuvneshwar Kumar with 90 wickets.
Coming to the match, Indian spinners revealed on a turning track before the batters made heavy weather of a small target to register a scrappy series-leveling win over New Zealand in the second T20 International in Lucknow on Sunday.
The trio of Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav impressed on a helping surface to limit a self-destructing New Zealand to 99 for eight, their lowest total against India in the shortest format.
It should have been a straightforward run chase but the top order comprising Ishan Kishan (19 off 32), Shubman Gill (11 off 9) and Rahul Tripathi (13 off 18) had a tough time again in spin-friendly conditions.
In the end, Hardik Pandya (15 not out off 20) and Suryakumar Yadav (26 not out off 31) took the team over the line with a ball to spare and six wickets in hand.
The series decider will be played in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
