New Zealand's off-spin all-rounder, Michael Bracewell, commented on the outcome of the second T20I match against India, where his team lost by six wickets. Bracewell, who picked up 1/13 in his four overs, acknowledged that the Indian team was simply too good on a wicket that favored their style of play. He added that while the pitch at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow may not have been the best representation of T20I cricket, variety in pitches around the world is a good thing.
Bracewell said, "Having a variety of wickets around the world is a positive thing. India were just too good on a wicket that probably suited their style of play and obviously growing up playing in those conditions as well. So, it's one of those ones where you expect different wickets around the world and we can't complain; it's exciting to try and figure out a way to play on these wickets."
In the T20I match, spinners from both teams bowled 30 out of the 40 overs, and no sixes were hit by the batters from both sides. India chased down a target of 100 with a ball to spare after restricting New Zealand to 99/8. New Zealand captain, Mitchell Santner, admitted that he was trying to find spinners in his team to make India work harder for their runs.
Santner said, "It was obviously a great game of cricket. To get it so close was a pretty good effort from the boys. If we got an extra 10-15 (runs), it could've been the difference, but I think the calmness of Hardik and Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) to get them over the line was pretty good."
With the series now leveled at 1-1, India and New Zealand will play the decisive match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. The match is expected to be a closely contested affair as both teams aim to win the series and claim the top spot.