Brendon McCullum gave yet another masterclass in Twenty20 batting, keeping his nerve to shepherd New Zealand to a last-ball win. The match followed a similar script to the Christchurch game for 37 overs, with New Zealand completely in control, before Irfan Pathan's double-strike in the 18th over of the chase sparked India to life.
From 28 off the last three overs with eight wickets in hand, it boiled down to nine runs off three balls. A calm Brendon McCullum slapped a couple of powerful boundaries, before a top-edge off the final delivery sailed agonisingly beyond the grasp of Rohit Sharma at mid-off to seal the victory.
New Zealand's batsmen had a fairly simple task ahead of them at the halfway stage after their disciplined bowlers derailed India's big hitters for the second game in a row. Iain O'Brien and Ian Butler sliced through the top order, Daniel Vettori was at his Scrooge-like best, and Jesse Ryder continued New Zealand's long tradition of effective dibbly-dobbly bowlers to keep India down to 149.
Full report to follow
India 149 for 6 (Yuvraj 50, O'Brien 2-30) v New Zealand
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For the second match in a row, New Zealand's disciplined bowlers derailed India's big hitters. Iain O'Brien and Ian Butler sliced through the top order, Daniel Vettori was at his Scrooge-like best, and Jesse Ryder continued New Zealand's long tradition of effective dibbly-dobbly bowlers to keep India down to 149.
India didn't try to hit every ball for six as in the previous game, but their shot selection still left a lot to be desired. Yuvraj Singh top scored with a half-century but just as he was threatening to take the visitors to a big total, he holed out. Mahendra Singh Dhoni remained unbeaten till the end, but his timing was awry and he could only manage a subdued 28, with only two boundaries.
Virender Sehwag had provided a typically belligerent start, but the runs dried up after his dismissal and New Zealand's bowlers never let the initiative slip. Suresh Raina fell attempting his favourite pull, and Gautam Gambhir was caught behind attempting the steer to third man.
Yuvraj and Dhoni decided to play responsibly, as Dhoni had demanded after the defeat in the first match, and the runs were coming only in singles. New Zealand's bowlers and fielders kept it tight, just nine runs were scored in one three-over spell. The running also showed hints of desperation, with both batsmen surviving several close calls.
India were struggling at 64 for 3 after 10, when Yuvraj decided to cut loose. One wild swipe resulted in an inside-edge for four, but there was nothing streaky about the three sixes that followed after that. After a massive hit over wide long-on off O'Brien, Yuvraj's scoop over extra cover ended in a simple catch for Jacob Oram.
Yusuf was bowled attempting a dab to a full ball from Vettori and Ravindra Jadeja had trouble finding the gap early in his innings. At the other end, Dhoni couldn't force the pace, most of his runs coming only in singles. Jadeja and Irfan Pathan were left to play the big hits, and their efforts lifted India towards 150, still someway short of the total they would have been looking for at the start.
It didn't look like India would end at such a low score after the start Sehwag provided. He was his usual carefree self, hitting boundaries at will. There were no sixes, and no runs in his favourite backward-point region, but that didn't prevent him from motoring along at better than two runs a ball. A tennis forehand had barely cleared mid-off in the third over, which was where he spliced a catch off O'Brien.
Their bowler's tidy show has left New Zealand primed for a sweep of the series, and India questioning their Twenty20 world champion credentials.