IND vs NZ 2022-23, 2nd T20I: 'It was a shocker of a wicket' - Hardik Pandya after India levels series 1-1

IND vs NZ 2022-23: India managed to tame New Zealand by six wickets in a low-scoring thriller during the second Lucknow T20I on Sunday, levelling the series 1-1. However, Hardik Pandya was critical of the track.

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Indian captain Hardik Pandya on Sunday denounced the measure of pitches employed in the ongoing series versus New Zealand and called the wicket designed for the second Twenty20 International (T20I) a "shocker". The ball spun in the opening T20I in Ranchi, and it was no different on Sunday when New Zealand was limited to 99/8. India chased the target down with only a ball to spare.

"To be honest, it was a shocker of a wicket. Both the games we have played so far. I don't mind difficult wickets. I am all up for that, but these two wickets were not made for T20. Somewhere down the line, the curators or the grounds we will play in should ensure they prepare the pitches earlier. Other than that, happy. Even 120 would have been a winning total," said Pandya following the series-levelling triumph over NZ.

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The series decider will take place in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. "I always believed that we'll be able to finish the game, but it went quite late. All these games are important with the moments. You don't need to panic because it was about rotating the strike rather than taking the pressure. That's exactly what we did. We followed our basics," Pandya reckoned about the thrilling finish.

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On the bowlers' exceptional performance, Pandya added: "They stuck to their plans and ensured they [NZ] did not rotate the strike. We kept rotating the spinners. Dew didn't play many parts in this. They were able to spin the ball more than us. It was carried through well." NZ captain Mitchell Santer stated that 120 could have been an endearing total on such a track.

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"It was a great game of cricket. To get it so close was a great effort from the bowlers. The difference could have been if we had an extra 10 or 15. The calmness of Surya[kumar Yadav] and Hardik to get them over the line was pretty good. We bowled 16 or 17 overs of spin. Something different. With the bounce out there, it looked challenging. You are not sure what a good total is. 120 might have been a good score," reflected Santner.

(With inputs from PTI)