Suryakumar Yadav Mount Maunganui fireworks too good for New Zealand in 2nd T20I, India take unbeatable lead

India continued their fine run in bilateral cricket as they began their tour of New Zealand with a comfortable xx-run win over Kane Williamson’s men in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, November 20.

Captain Hardik Pandya ticked all the right boxes in the 2nd T20I as the visitors took an unbeaten 1-0 lead in the 3-match series. After the first T20I in Wellington was called off due to rain, India made the most of game time at the Bay Oval on Sunday.

With senior players, including captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, resting, it was an opportunity for the players on the bench to showcase their class and they managed to do so with reasonable success. However, the star of the evening was Suryakumar Yadav, who continued from where he left at the T20 World Cup in Australia.

In what is being dubbed as the start of a new era of India’s T20I cricket, Suryakumar Yadav put his hand up and said he is ready to be the pillar of a potential new-look side, smashing his 2nd T20I century. Suryakumar hit 7 sixes and 11 boundaries for his stunning 51-ball 111 not out. He scored more than half of India’s total of 191.

It was certainly not the easiest of pitches to bat on but Suryakumar Yadav showcased his class, scoring at over 200 even on a day where the rest of the batters, including New Zealand captain Williamson, struggled for fluency.

Watch him in action in the 2nd #NZvIND T20I: https://t.co/uoQDFzDYe5!#NZvINDonPrime #CricketOnPrime pic.twitter.com/BH13FTuTFl — prime video IN (@PrimeVideoIN) November 20, 2022

191 proved too much in the end for New Zealand, who were never really in the hunt as their batters kept coming and going with only Williamson trying to stitch things together. The New Zealand captain’s knock of 61 off 52 came under the scanner as he struggled to get going, putting pressure on the rest of the batting line-up. Big-hitters like Glenn Phillips and James Neesham were under pressure to get going from the word go and it did not help their cause.

Mohammed Siraj, who ended Williamson’s struggle in the middle, shone with 2 wickets while leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal finished with figures of 2 for 26. Chahal, who returned to the side after warming the benches during the T20 World Cup, picked up the big wickets of Phillips and Neesham, providing India with breakthroughs in the middle overs.

Deepak Hooda, who bowled as the 6th-bowling option for India, finished with figures of 4/10 as New Zealand were bundled out for 126 in 18.5 overs. It was also New Zealand’s lowest T20I total against India at home as Inida’s bowling unit stepped up and delivered in the 2nd T20I.

WILLIAMSON 61 NOT ENOUGH
It all began when Bhuvneshwar Kumar got the ball moving and got the wicket of big-hitter Finn Allen out for 0 as early as the first over.

Devon Conway (25) and Kane Williamson (61) tried to get going but India’s new-ball attack of Bhuvneshwar, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh kept it tight.

The 56-run stand between Conway and Williamson came in 47 balls after which Conway fell to Washington Sundar, who picked up a wicket on his return to the side.

Following Conway’s exit, Williamson did not get enough support from the middle and lower middle-order. Chahal’s wicket of Phillips (12 from 6) broke the back of the BlackCaps chase.

James Neesham (0) and Mitchell Santner (2) failed to get going in the chase as New Zealand fell off the cliff rapidly.

SURYAKUMAR BOSSES BAY OVAL
Earlier in the day, India opened the batting with Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan after they left out the likes of Shubman Gill and SanjU Samson. However, Pant failed to make use of the opportunity, managing just 6 from 13 balls.

Ishan got going with a 31-ball 36 but it was all Suryakumar show in Mount Maunganui.

Shreyas Iyer (13) and Hardik Pandya (13) hung around with Suryakumar as the Mumbai Indians batter was playing games with the New Zealand field, manipulating the field wonderfully well.

The ball was moving around a bit on an overcast evening in Mount Maunganui but nothing faced Suryakumar who stamped his authority on the New Zealand bowling attack.

Suryakumar did not let the two New Zealand spinners, Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner settle down. Suryakumar played the inside-out shots to perfection, picking up boundaries at regular intervals to keep the scoreboard moving. Suryakumar launched into Lockie Ferguson, smashing the express pacer to all parks of the ground. Suryakumar wonderfully used the pace of the former Gujarat Titans pacer as he played his favourite scoops and flicks behind square.