When the chase looked uncertain: The partnership that changed the game

After an early collapse, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav turned the game on its head with a blistering partnership, setting up India’s dominant seven-wicket win and a 2-0 series lead.

The second innings in Raipur delivered complete entertainment for cricket fans as India pulled off a commanding chase of a massive 209-run target against New Zealand. What began as a shaky start soon turned into a batting spectacle, driven by the explosive brilliance of Ishan Kishan and the calm resurgence of captain Suryakumar Yadav.

India’s chase got off to a disastrous beginning. Within just six runs on the board, both openers,  Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, were back in the pavilion, leaving the home side under early pressure. With the scoreboard reading 6 for 2, New Zealand sensed an opening.

However, Ishan Kishan and skipper Suryakumar Yadav stepped in and completely changed the momentum. While Suryakumar played a composed and calculated knock initially, Ishan went on the attack from the outset, taking the Kiwi bowlers by surprise.

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Ignoring the fall of early wickets, Kishan launched an aggressive counter-attack. In just the third over of the innings, he smashed 24 runs, sending a clear message to the opposition. His fearless stroke play left the New Zealand bowlers struggling for answers as boundaries and sixes flowed to all parts of the ground.

Playing in Raipur, Kishan was at his destructive best. He reached his half-century in just 21 balls, putting the crowd on its feet and pushing India firmly back into the contest. At the other end, Suryakumar slowly found his rhythm and then switched gears, rolling back the years with his trademark shots. In the ninth over alone, he hammered 25 runs.

The duo stitched together a match-defining 122-run partnership for the third wicket. The stand finally ended when Ish Sodhi broke through, dismissing Kishan for a sensational 76, but the damage had already been done.

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Suryakumar, who had been searching for form for nearly a year, finally returned to his old self. He brought up his half-century in just 23 deliveries, crossing the T20 fifty mark after a long gap of 468 days.

Shivam Dube then joined the captain and provided the perfect finishing touch. Dube remained unbeaten on 36 off 18 balls, hitting one boundary and three sixes. The unbeaten 81-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Dube and Suryakumar guided India home comfortably.

India completed the chase with 28 balls to spare, losing only three wickets. The emphatic seven-wicket victory also gave Team India a 2-0 lead in the series.

Sports Bureau

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