Christchurch, Oct. 24 -- Cricket has a wonderful way of reminding us that a match is never over until the last ball is bowled. At Hagley Oval on Saturday night, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner had India looking decidedly uncomfortable, but Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy turned a difficult chase into a memorable four-wicket victory, taking India to a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20 International series.
Chasing 181, India reached 181 for six in 19.5 overs, with Tilak unbeaten on 51 off just 26 deliveries and Nitish providing the perfect finishing touch with an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls. Their unbroken 69-run partnership for the seventh wicket was the difference between a New Zealand fightback and an Indian celebration.
The chase had...