Tilak Varma’s evolution from No.3 to finisher has impressed Mitchell Santner

Brief Scores: India (181/6 in 19.5 overs) beat New Zealand (180/5) by 4 wickets in Christchurch to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. SCORECARD | MAIN DATA

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has watched Tilak Varma grow as a batsman during their time together with Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL). After seeing him start at No.3 in the IPL, Santner is impressed with how Tilak has developed into a finisher for India. He also praised Naman Dhir after India’s four-wicket win in the second T20I in Christchurch on Saturday.

Tilak played a key role in India’s chase of 209 as he scored an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls. India were under pressure after Santner picked up four wickets, but the left-hander kept the chase alive before Nitish Kumar Reddy joined him at the crease. The pair added an unbeaten 69 off 30 balls India are at home and lead 2-0 in a five-game series.

Santner said Tilak has adapted well to the demands of batting in the middle order after starting at No.3 for Mumbai Indians.

“When he first started, he was batting three. And it’s a bit of a different role. So I guess the middle-order role depends on how you operate in the middle and the death. I’ve seen it for a couple of years now in Mumbai. He’s very good,” Santner said after the match.

The New Zealand captain also praised Naman, who took three wickets on his India debut in Christchurch. Santner was impressed with how freely the youngster played.

“And the same with Naman Dhir. I think the way he came in and he looks so free from the start. Tilak took a bit of time today but he chased Reddy very well at the end. If you can finish games as a finisher, you do a pretty good job. So I think it was a great knock from the last three, especially tonight,” he added.

SANTNER POINTS TO MISSED CHANCES

Santner’s four-wicket haul put New Zealand in a strong position, but the hosts could not hold on to their advantage. Dropped catches and missed fielding opportunities proved costly as India clawed their way back into the chase.

Santner felt the match was close, small moments made the difference.

“If you look at the skill of both teams, it was very close and there were a few little moments in the field. I think mainly us, the back end of that chase today. I think we’re in a very good position, a couple of catches, missed fields. And it’s win or lose the game,” he said.

He added that New Zealand played well in both matches but failed to capitalize on their chances.

“We played very good cricket from a skill point of view. It’s just some little moments where if you grab those moments we could have easily gone 2-0 up I think too,” Santner said.

New Zealand will look to bounce back in the third T20I in Wellington, while India will look to increase their lead and move closer to sealing the series.

– The end