2nd T20I: Grandhomme, Taylor help New Zealand post 158/8 vs India

Auckland, Feb 8 (IANS) All-rounder Colin de Grandhomme's brilliant half-century and Ross Taylor's disciplined innings helped New Zealand post 158/8 against India in the second Twenty20 International match here on Friday.

Losing four wickets for just 50 runs in 7.5 overs, Taylor and Grandhomme forged a crucial 77-run partnership for the sixth wicket and helped their team post a good total.

Opting to bat, New Zealand started the proceedings cautiously but in the third over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up Tim Seifert (12), who was the top scorer in the last match.

Colin Munro (12) and Kane Williamson (20) then joined and started playing shots. While trying to increase the scoring rate, Munro was dismissed by spinner Krunal Pandya in the sixth over. In the same over Krunal dismissed Daryl Mitchell (1).

Now, with the scoreboard reading 43/3, Krunal came in the eighth over and dismissed Williamson. He was adjudged leg before wicket.

Taylor and Grandhomme then joined hands and played sensibly. The duo played some beautifully crafted shots in the process.

But just when things seemed good in the middle, Grandhomme was sent packing by all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the 16th over. Grandhomme played 28 balls and slammed one boundary and four sixes. 

Unperturbed by the fall of wicket, Taylor kept on playing his shots but lack of support from the lower order batsmen cost him. In the penultimate over, Taylor got run out by Vijay Shankar. In his 32-ball stay, Taylor hit three boundaries.

For India, Krunal scalped three wickets while Khaleel Ahmed picked up two.

Brief scores: New Zealand: 158/8 (Colin de Grandhomme 50, Ross Taylor 42; Krunal Pandya 3/28) against India.