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New Delhi: New Zealand beat India by 40 runs in the second T20 international in Rajkot on Saturday to level the three-match series at 1-1. Set a target of 197 for a win, India were restricted to 156 for seven in 20 overs. Top scoring for the hosts was Virat Kohli who made 65 off 42 balls. The next best score of the innings came from MS Dhoni who made 49 off 37 balls.
For New Zealand, the pick of the bowlers was Trent Boult who had figures of four for 34 in four overs. Also, Colin Munro bowled three overs, having a return of one for 23 runs.
Earlier, winning the toss and opting to bat, New Zealand were devastating as they scored 196 for the loss of just two wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Colin Munro top scored, making 109 off 58 balls. The other man to play his part was Martin Guptill who made 45.
As far as the bowling went for India, debutant Mohammed Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal bagged a wicket each. There were four other bowlers used by India. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya, all went wicket-less.
The third and final T20 match of the series, which will also be the last for New Zealand on the tour, will be played on Tuesday at the Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram. India had earlier won the first T20 match by 53 runs in Delhi on Wednesday. On paper, New Zealand are the higher-ranked team at number two compared to India who are at the fifth position.
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