India has equalized the T20 series 1-1, as the Kiwis defeated Team India by 21 runs during the first T20 match at Jharkhand. Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh took two crucial wickets during the match, but mainly it was the spinners who didn't let the New Zealand players move much of the ground.
Opener Finn Allen was looking dangerous, hitting back-to-back boundaries in the third over, but soon Yuzvendra Chahal's leg spin took away his charm while the bombastic batsman was trying to hit a reverse sweep.
The team was struggling to keep up wickets after initial losses and Skipper Mitchell Santner remained not out with the highest score of 19 runs.
The young Indian batsman entered the ground with confidence and a comparatively small target. Shubman Gill scored a stylish boundary during the first over of the match, making the intent clear, that they want to finish it early.
But, soon Gill gave a catch to Finn Allen in the deep, and India lost an early wicket at the score of 17. Ishan Kishan and Rahul Tripathi tried to slowly take the game ahead with occasional boundaries, but at the score of 46, the second blow struck the Indian team when Kishan was dismissed in a runout.
Rahul Tripathi soon followed Ishan Kishan to the dugout, as Sodhi again proved crucial for the New Zealand team. Washington Sundar and Indian Mr. 360-degree Suryakumar Yadav tried to take the game toward the target with more calmness, but during the 15th over, Washington Sundar was dismissed in another runout due to miscommunication.
It came all down to skipper Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav. The match went till the final over, which became nail-biting, but Suryakumar Yadav finished it in style with a boundary.
