Colin Munro shines, New Zealand hammers India in the second T20 in Rajkot
IANS
Indian captain Virat Kohli being stumped in a Mitchell Santner delivery. Although Kohli kept India’s hopes alive with a typically aggressive innings of 65, studded with a six and eight fours, the home team’s asking rate kept climbing steeply and in the end they fell well short. | PTINew Zealand bowler Adam Milne dives to stop a ball. Young Turk Shreyas Iyer, in only his second game for the country, started in an encouraging fashion by playing some excellent square of the wicket shots on the off-side for fours. He stiched together a partnership of 54 runs with Kohli, but then lost his wicket to a slog-sweep off centurion Munro who ran yards to his right to complete a good catch. | PTIThe trouble further mounted for India as they lost Hardik Pandya for a duck. They were 71 for 4, requiring 126 more in last ten overs to win the game. Kohli, finding the gap to hit a four regularly, and his predecessor at the helm, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, kept India in sight with a stand of 56 runs. | PTIThe Indian skipper reached his 18th half century in 32 balls while Dhoni, content to play second fiddle, survived a stumping chance off Sodhi before carting the next ball over long-on for a six. | APNew Zealand bowler Mitchell Santner celebrates the wicket of Indian batsman Virat Kohli. At the end of the 15th over, the home side required 85 in 30 balls, a tall order.And it proved to be so as Kohli stepped out to Santner for a mighty heave and edged to the New Zealand keeper and India’s task became even more difficult at 123 for 5 with 21 balls remaining. | PTIDhoni’s was the seventh wicket to fall in the last over after the fall of Axar Patel two overs earlier. India ended at 156 for seven in their allotted 20 overs. | PTIEarlier, none of the Indian bowlers, barring Jasprit Bumrah in his first spell, could contain the rampaging Colin Munro. The Left-hander used his bat like a sledge-hammer, striking seven sixes and as many fours in his 58-ball knock of 109. | PTIMunro raised a 105-run partnership for the first wicket with Martin Guptill (45 off 41), setting the platform for a big total in their do-or-die match. | PTINew Zealand batsman Martin Guptill in action. Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal (1/36) and Axar Patel too failed to stem the run-flow. | PTIIndian cricketer Mohammed Siraj celebrates the wicket of New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson. The debutant right-arm pacer was the worst sufferer of the Kiwi batting might, as he was struck repeatedly for sixes by Munro and ended up giving away 53 runs in four overs. | PTI