India thrillingly came out on top with one ball remaining to level their three-match T20I series with New Zealand after a remarkably tight second match on Sunday.
The hosts won by six wickets at Ekana Stadium but only just managed to reach the low target set by New Zealand during what seemed a poor innings that saw them finish on 99-8.
It was the first time the Black Caps had failed to reach 100 runs in a T20I against India, though it was not as bad as it first seemed on a difficult pitch.
Finn Allen's (11) reverse sweep attempt from Yuzvendra Chahal's (1-4) delivery saw him knock the ball on to himself and then the stumps for India's breakthrough, and Devon Conway (11) soon followed when caught behind by Ishan Kishan off Washington Sundar (1-17).
Glenn Phillips (5) was the third to fall victim to a botched reverse sweep, and Daryl Mitchell (8) also failed to reach double digits, with that pair removed either side of Mark Chapman (14) being run out.
Michael Bracewell (14) and Mitchell Santner (19 not out) formed one of only two stands to yield 20 runs, before New Zealand's innings petered out with only five in the final over.
India's response was not emphatic – they also failed to register a single six.
Shubman Gill (11) gave Allen an easy catch with a top edge off Bracewell (1-13) for an early boost, before Kishan (19) was run out and Rahul Tripathi (13) was caught at deep midwicket.
Suryakumar Yadav (26 not out) – aided ably by captain Hardik Pandya (15 not out) – ultimately dragged India over the line, getting just enough power on the penultimate ball to reach the boundary and take India to 101-4.
Suryakumar decisive when it counts
Having managed at least 47 runs in each of his previous three T20Is, Suryakumar is not used to struggling to amass significant totals.
Much like everyone else on Sunday, he could not quite find momentum with his 26 coming off 31 balls, but the fact he had the nous to be the only batter to break the 20-runs barrier should not be overlooked.
New Zealand bowlers give them a fighting chance
The batsmen should not take too much blame – pretty much all of them from both sides struggled on a wicket that Hardik criticised afterwards – but the Black Caps bowlers had plenty of work to do here.
The wickets did not tumble with quite the same regularity as when they were in bat, but with the ball they ensured the match remained tight – the fact they took it to the final over is commendable in itself.
Cornwall takes four as Leewards takes lead over Guyana at Providence
Rahkeem Cornwall took four wickets as the Leeward Islands Hurricanes shot out Guyana Harpy Eagles for 122 at Providence on the opening day of their match at Providence. At stumps, the Leewards were 133-5, a lead of 11.
Opener Matthew Nandu was the top scorer for Guyana as Cornwall took 4-27 while Javier Spencer 2-35 and Colin Archibald 2-27.
In reply, opener Kieran Powell and Keacy Carty shared in a second-wicket partnership of 69 but after Kevin Sinclair dismissed Powell for 35, the Leewards slipped from 73-2 to 84-4 with Carty and Devon Thomas losing their wickets to Veersammy Permaul for 23 and two, respectively.
Anthony Adams was dismissed by Anthony Adams for 10 with the Leewards still 18 runs behind.
Howeverm Jahmar Hamilton (35) and Kofi James (9) took the Leewards beyond Guyana’s score and have so far put on 29 for the sixth wicket when play concluded for the day.
Permaul has so far taken 2-31.
Hinds and Phillips repel Scorpions bowling to make 302; Scorpions 5-1 at stumps
Terrance Hinds and Anderson Phillip each scored crucial half-centuries to rescue Trinidad and Tobago Red Force from 119-7 to 302 all out against the Jamaica Scorpions at Torouba on Thursday. At stumps, the Scorpions had already a lost a wicket with only five runs on the board.
Trinidad were in trouble on 119-7 with only Tion Webster (30) and Joshua Da Silva (39) making useful contributions against the bowling of Marquino Mindley, Ojay Shields and Derval Green doing the early damage.
However, Hinds and Bryan Charles began the fightback with a 66-run partnership for the eighth wicket which took the Red Force to 185 when Charles was dismissed for only nine. A bigger partnership was to follow between Hinds and Phillip, who put on exactly 100 for the ninth wicket.
Hinds, who looked certain to make a hundred, was eventually dismissed for 94 by Shields who finished with 2-72.
Phillips and Shannon Gabriel took the score past 300 before Jeavor Royal dismissed Gabriel for 10, leaving Phillips unbeaten on 63.
Green took 3-56, Royal 2-60 and Mindley 2-56.
Phillip dismissed Tevin Gilzene for one to close out the day.
Jordan's 5-44 restricts Windward Islands Volcanoes to 237 despite Athanaze, Walcott half-centuries
Alick Athanaze and Tevyn Walcott both scored half-centuries but Akeem Jordan’s five-wicket haul restricted the Windward Islands Volcanoes to a first-innings score of 237 on the opening day of their fifth-round West Indies Championship match against Barbados Pride at Queens Park Oval on Thursday.
At stumps, Barbados were 48-0, trailing by 189 runs.
Athanaze, who has been in good form all season, scored 59 while rescuing the Volcanoes from a tenuous 17-3. He and Sunil Ambris added 47 for the fourth wicket. Ambris was trapped lbw by Roshon Primus for 28 after Windwards Islands Volcanoes recovered somewhat to 64-4.
Athanaze was to feature in another solid partnership, this time 98 with Walcott for the fifth wicket that added further stability to the score. However, Akeem Jordan who earlier picked up the wickets of openers Kimani Melius for a duck and Johann Jeremiah for 11, snapped up the wickets of Walcott for 55 and then Athanaze for 59 as the Windwards slipped to 164-6.
Primus made it 166-7 when he dismissed Larry Edward for one.
After Jordan dismissed Kenneth Dember for six and Jomel Warrican removed Sherman Lewis for nine, Ryan John and Preston McSween added 31 before Warrican ended John’s resolute innings for 41.
Jordan returned figures of 5-44 with Primus supporting with 2-44 and Warrican 2-57.
At the close, Barbados were 48-0 with Zachary McCaskie and Sheyne Moseley, the batsmen at the crease on 21 and 26, respectively.
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