"Seemed as if India would chase down the target in 10 overs" - Virat Kohli's childhood coach on Men in Blue's nervy win in 2nd T20I vs New Zealand

Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma stated that India had a chance to chase New Zealand's 99-run total in 10 overs in the second T20I on Sunday, January 29, given their explosive batting lineup.

Speaking to India News Sports after the second T20I in Lucknow, Sharma mentioned that the New Zealand bowlers did a fantastic job, challenging the Men in Blue batters.

He also stated that the match could have gone either way had the Kiwis not dropped a couple of important catches during the run chase.

"It was a very difficult pitch to bat on," Sharma explained. "The Indian bowlers did a fantastic job, restricting New Zealand to 99. Considering the strong batting lineup, it seemed as if India would chase down the target in 10 overs.

"But the New Zealand bowlers, especially the spinners, were exceptional. They dropped a couple of catches and missed some close run out chances. If that hadn't happened, the match would have been a very, very close match."

.@surya_14kumar hits the winning runs as #TeamIndia secure a 6-wicket win in Lucknow & level the #INDvNZ T20I series 1️⃣-1️⃣

Scorecard ▶️ bit.ly/INDvNZ-2023-2N…

#INDvNZ | @mastercardindia https://t.co/onXTBVc2Wu

Notably, Hardik Pandya and Co. ultimately chased down the modest target in the 20th over, securing a thrilling six-wicket victory to level the three-match series at 1-1.

Suryakumar Yadav was the top scorer in the match, remaining unbeaten on 26 off 31 deliveries on a tricky surface.

"This will surely be a very memorable match" - Rajkumar Sharma on 2nd T20I between India and New Zealand

Rajkumar Sharma further went on to say that the encounter was not like any other T20 match, as it was the bowlers who dominated the batters and not the other way around.

He highlighted that while most fans would watch 20-over matches to witness power-hitting, they would still have enjoyed this low-scoring thriller as it went down the wire.

"This was a different kind of match," he added. "Usually, the fans come to stadiums to see fours and sixes in a T20 game. But it was a different contest between the bat and the ball on this occasion. This will surely be a very memorable match."

Vice-captain @surya_14kumar remained unbeaten in a tricky chase and bagged the Player of the Match award as #TeamIndia registered a 6-wicket victory in Lucknow 👏👏

Scorecard ▶️ bit.ly/INDvNZ-2023-2N…

#INDvNZ | @mastercardindia https://t.co/LScLxZaqfq

The Hardik Pandya-led side will take on New Zealand in the third and final T20I of the series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, January 31.