Tripped up by spin, India target fightback in 2nd T20I vs New Zealand

Indians are masters at playing spin and the task becomes easy on home turf. A spin-friendly turf at Ranchi though surprised Hardika Pandya and Co on Friday night as they lost to New Zealand by 21 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.

Almost a similar wicket, offering help to both spinners and batters, is awaiting the two sides in second match of the series at the Atal Bihar Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday before an expected full house.

Mitchell Santner and Co would be aiming for a series win while India would be desperate to keep hopes alive to pocket another series after a clean sweep in the preceding ODI series. The red soil turf here had favoured India on the two previous occasions, against West Indies and Sri Lanka.

In Ranchi, India skipper Hardik Pandya and his Kiwi counterpart Mitchell Santner appeared surprised at the amount of turn available. The ball gripped the surface and bounced as well. But Santner exhibited his class and skill, the left-arm spinner taking a wicket first ball, bowling a maiden in the powerplay and then coming back to remove Deepak Hooda and complete the formality for the visitors.

“I don't think anyone even thought this wicket would play like that,” Hardik said after the match. “Both teams kind of got surprised, but I think they played better cricket, that's the reason the result ended like that,” he added.

Santner echoed Hardik's view. “I think it was a shock for everyone involved – how much it kind of spun in the second innings,” Santner said. “But yeah, it was a great game, and it was pretty tight in the end. You saw a lot of runs in the ODI series, so it's nice to see the ball spin a bit more in the T20Is.”

On Friday, even before Santner (4-1-11-2) came up with a stunning display of bowling, fellow spinner Michael Bracewell (4-0-31-2) had made serious dents in India’s batting, foxing Ishan Kishan and knocking back his off-stump with sharp turn. He then compelled Hardik to play a miscued shot and take a return catch.

Santner bowled a splendid spell. He kept India in check by bowling a maiden over to Suryakumar Yadav in the powerplay. He took the wicket of in-form Shubman Gill, who inspired India to the 3-0 sweep in the ODIs with a double century and a hundred.

Besides Surya, who stroked a 34-ball 47 (6x4, 2x6), young all-rounder Washington Sundar hit a 28-ball 50 and took 2/22 bowling off-spin.

“I think it was just a one-off game. I don't think we have to address anything just because it was spinning so much. Things would have been much different if we had got off to a flier or a better start. Obviously, it did spin and you will see such wickets here and there,” he said after the loss.

“People over here and players in our team have played on such wickets in the IPL, and even in the Indian team. So, just the one-off game where certain things didn't go our way,” said Sundar, who backed left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, who registered poor figures of 4-0-51-1 and went for 27 runs in the seven-ball last over, and young fast bowler Umran Malik, who conceded 16 runs in his only over.

“He (Arshdeep) has taken so many wickets for India and in the IPL. We are also human beings, we also want to play the sport. When the competition is very high, and the opposition is of the highest quality such things can happen,” Sundar said. “The way he (Malik) bowled against Sri Lanka and New Zealand in the ODIs, that's why we all know he's here. He's an X-factor, someone who bowls above 150 (kph) consistently. That’s a rare quality.”

In the ODI World Cup year, India may not focus as much on the shortest format. But with Rohit Sharma and Co looking to step up ODI batting aggression, T20Is can be a nice opportunity, provided the pitch proves an ally.