MOUNT MAUNGANUI : New Zealand’s Tim Southee claimed a hat-trick but Suryakumar Yadav smashed a blistering hundred to help secure India’s comprehensive 65-run victory in the second Twenty20 International at the Bay Oval on Sunday.

Yadav made shot-making look easy in an unbeaten 111 off 51 balls — illustrating why he is ranked the world’s best T20 batter — to power India to a commanding 191-6 after being put into bat.

The 32-year-old struck 11 fours and cleared the Bay Oval ropes seven times as he compiled his second century in the format, having posted 117 against England at Nottingham four months ago.

He has become the first Indian to score 1,000 T20 runs in a calendar year, improving his career strike rate to an extraordinary 181.64 in the process.

This was his seventh time past 50 in 11 innings, helping India recover from a modest start after being sent in to bat in damp conditions.

New Zealand were bundled out for 126 with skipper Kane Williamson (61) supplying half of the runs before they were bowled out in 18.5 overs.

After Friday’s series opener in Wellin­gton had been washed out, Williamson elected to field in the second match which was also rain-affected.

India were 50-1 in the seventh over when the players were forced off the field.

The visitors sent in Rishabh Pant (6) to open the innings with fellow left-hander Ishan Kishan (36) but the ploy did not work.

Kishan could not really convert his start, and Shreyas Iyer (13) departed hit wicket.

Yadav was irrepressible at the other end, though, playing audacious shots all around the ground and making a mockery of New Zealand’s field settings.

Lockie Ferguson conceded 22 in the penultimate over, all from the bat of Yadav, raced to a 49-ball hundred but was kept away from strike in the eventful final over from Southee.

Southee struck back in the final over with his second career hat-trick, dismissing Indian captain Hardik Pandya before removing Deepak Hooda and Washington Sundar for golden ducks.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave India the perfect start removing Finn Allen for a duck and Devon Conway (25) departed after a fifty-partnership with Williamson.

Hooda claimed a career-best 4-10, including three wickets in four balls in the 19th over.

Napier hosts the third and final match on Tuesday.

Scoreboard

INDIA:

I. Kishan c Southee b Sodhi 36

R. Pant c Southee b Ferguson 6

S. Yadav not out 111

S. Iyer hit wicket b Ferguson 13

H. Pandya c Neesham b Southee 13

D. Hooda c Ferguson b Southee 0

W. Sundar c Neesham b Southee 0

B. Kumar not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-9) 11

TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs) 191

DID NOT BAT: A. Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Y. Chahal

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-36 (Pant), 2-69 (Kishan), 3-108 (Iyer), 4-190 (Pandya), 5-190 (Hooda), 6-190 (Sundar)

BOWLING: Southee 4-0-34-3 (2w), Milne 4-0-35-0 (3w), Ferguson 4-0-49-2, Neesham 1-0-9-0, Sodhi 4-0-35-1, Santner 3-0-27

NEW ZEALAND:

F. Allen c Singh b Kumar 0

D. Conway c Singh b Sundar 25

K. Williamson b Siraj 61

G. Phillips b Chahal 12

D. Mitchell c Iyer b Hooda 10

J. Neesham c Ishan Kishan b Chahal 0

M. Santner c & b Siraj 2

A. Milne c Singh b Hooda 6

I. Sodhi st Pant b Hooda 1

T. Southee c Pant b Hooda 0

L. Ferguson not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-7) 8

TOTAL (all out, 18.5 overs) 126

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Allen), 2-56 (Conway), 3-69 (Phillips), 4-88 (Mitchell), 5-89 (Neesham), 6-99 (Santner), 7-124 (Williamson), 8-125 (Sodhi), 9-125 (Southee)

BOWLING: Kumar 3-0-12-1, Singh 3-0-29-0 (2w), Siraj 4-1-24-2 (1w), Sundar 2-0-24-1, Chahal 4-0-26-2, Hooda 2.5-0-10-4

RESULT: India won by 65 runs.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2022