Tilak Varma leads India to last-over win over New Zealand in second T20I

India recovered from 70-5 to beat New Zealand by four wickets with one ball remaining in the second men's Twenty20 international at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday. Tilak Varma finished unbeaten on 51 as India reached 181-6 in reply to 180-5, according to BBC Sport's published scorecard.

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Varma's 26-ball innings included six fours and a six, while Nitish Kumar Reddy contributed an unbeaten 26 from 13 deliveries. Together they added 69 without being separated after India lost their sixth wicket at 112 in the 15th over. Their partnership completed a recovery that had begun with Naman Dhir's attacking contribution in the middle order.

New Zealand captain Mitch Santner had put the hosts in a strong position with four wickets for 21 runs from four overs. He dismissed Abhishek Sharma for 27 and then removed Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel in the same over, leaving India five wickets down after 10.5 overs. Sanju Samson had earlier fallen to Jacob Duffy for 14, while Nathan Smith dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for four.

Dhir helped rebuild the chase with 31 from 17 balls, striking three sixes and a four before becoming Santner's fourth victim. His dismissal left India needing another 69 runs, with Varma and Reddy the last pair required. Duffy finished with one wicket for 41 from 3.5 overs, while Smith returned one for 34 from three.

Earlier, India elected to field and reduced New Zealand to 41-3. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Tim Seifert, Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Daryl Mitchell and Prince Yadav bowled Finn Allen. Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs then added 116 for the fourth wicket, rebuilding the innings after those early losses.

Phillips scored 70 from 43 balls, including four fours and four sixes, before falling to Singh. Jacobs made 58 from 46 deliveries before Reddy dismissed him. Michael Bracewell's unbeaten 10 from two balls helped New Zealand finish on 180-5, with Santner also unbeaten on four. Singh was India's leading wicket-taker with two for 33, while Axar Patel conceded 28 runs from his four wicketless overs.