New Zealand look to cut out the extras at Hagley Oval as India chase a 2-0 lead

New Zealand go back to Hagley Oval on Saturday needing a tighter new ball, after 17 extras and a 94-run powerplay let India complete the highest chase in their men's T20I history

Mitchell Santner's side made 225 for 4 in Christchurch on Thursday and still lost by four wickets, India arriving at 230 for 6 with two balls to spare. The teams meet again at the same ground on Saturday with New Zealand 1-0 down in a five-match series.

The game was decided inside the first six overs of the chase. India reached 94 for 1 at the end of the powerplay against a new-ball spell that sprayed wides, and New Zealand gave away 17 extras in all, 16 of them wides.

"They put us under pressure. We knew they were going to do that, and another big powerplay from them," Santner said at the presentation, before conceding his side "weren't probably at our best".

Extras at the start

Asked where the match had been lost, the captain went straight to the opening overs. "I think the extras at the start maybe, and obviously I think in the field we were pretty good," he said, while noting that chances had gone down. "It's not an easy ground to catch here," he added.

He was realistic about how far the leak can be plugged against this India top order. "I guess we have to find a way of trying to slow them down, but that might be an 80-run powerplay, not a 100," he said.

The middle overs did hold. "I think in the middle we did well to kind of squeeze them and then again it was a tight game," Santner said.

Phillips gives them a score

Glenn Phillips was the reason New Zealand had anything to defend, finishing unbeaten on 82 from 40 balls with eight fours and three sixes.

Finn Allen struck 45 from 24 at the top, Bevon Jacobs hit 31 from 16 and Daryl Mitchell added 28 from 19, cameos that carried the innings past 200.

"The way GP kind of consolidated in the middle there, he was outstanding," Santner said of the innings that gave his bowlers a target.

The death overs unravel

Matt Henry had the worst of it, going for 57 from 3.4 overs without a wicket, and it was his bowling that both swung the chase and ended it.

Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel took 20 from his 14th over, and Naman Dhir, unbeaten on 42 from 15 balls, hit him over deep fine leg for six with three needed from four deliveries.

The control came from the slower bowlers. Santner took 2 for 39 and Michael Bracewell 2 for 37, while Lockie Ferguson took 1 for 34 and Nathan Smith conceded 20 from two overs.

Pace stocks and a missing all-rounder

If Santner wants a change at the death, he has the bodies for it. New Zealand named seven fast bowlers in a 16-man squad for the series — Henry, Ferguson, Adam Milne, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes and Smith — with head coach Rob Walter citing workload as the reason for the depth.

Milne, recalled after more than a year out, went for 43 in the opener, and Jamieson and Duffy are yet to appear in the series.

New Zealand are without Rachin Ravindra, who dislocated his right shoulder at a promotional shoot in Auckland in September and is expected to need around six weeks before returning. "We are gutted for him," Walter said when the squad was named, adding that New Zealand were hopeful of having him for the ODI series that starts at Eden Park on 4 November.

India without Kishan

India make at least one change. The BCCI ruled Ishan Kishan out of the second match with a low-grade right adductor strain picked up in the opener, leaving an opening at the top of the order for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Sanju Samson, who made 67 from 33 balls, and Iyer, who made 42 from 28, took the chase out of New Zealand's reach, and both remain.

Santner, who landed on his head attempting a catch in the 13th over and left the field briefly, said afterwards he was fine: "A bit of a whiplash there, but yeah, it's okay."

Wellington follows on 27 October, with Auckland on 30 October and Hamilton on 1 November.

The toss at Hagley Oval is at 12pm IST on Saturday, with play half an hour later and an 8pm start under lights in Christchurch.

Catch the match live updates, highlights, and full match coverage on CricRadio. Get fast, accurate, and ad-free updates throughout the game. Download the CricRadio app from the Play Store to stay connected. You can also get the live scores of cricket series directly on the CricRadio website for real-time coverage.