NAPIER, JAN 12: In a nail-biting finish India beat New Zealand by two wickets with one ball to spare in the second limited-overs cricket international at McLean Park today.Set a modest victory target of 214 India were precariously placed, requiring eight runs of the last over to be bowled by New Zealand captain Dion Nash, with wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia and legspinner Anil Kumble at the crease. Mongia hit the final two runs from the penultimate ball to level the series one-all. The third game is at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Thursday.Mongia remained unbeaten on 30 and Kumble on six.The gutsy New Zealand opener Matt Horne, the only batsman to pass the 50-mark was declared Man of the Match.India began in a whirlwind fashion with Saurav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar putting on 50 runs for the opening wicket when Tendulkar fell once again as he looked set to seal the tie single-handely. Tendulkar made 23 before Nash had him caught by Bryan Young. Ganguly and Rahul Dravid contributed 38 runs each.Ajay Jadeja was run out for 26, Robin Singh made 23.Dion Nash and Daniel Vettori were the most successful Kiwi bowlers finishing with two for 43 and two 32 respectively.The match produced eight run outs, five in the New Zealand innings and three in the India's innings. Earlier, Mathew Horne top scored with 61, Chris Cairns chipped-in with 44 and in-form Craig McMillan contributed a useful 28 as the New Zealanders, put into bat, were restricted to 213 all out in 49.3 overs.For India, Sachin Tendulkar was the most successful bowler with three for 34 in 8.3 overs.At one stage 157 for four, the Kiwis lost their moorings midway through losing the last six wickets for just 56 runs, including three run-outs.Robin Singh finished with one for 33 in six overs and leg-spinner Anil Kumble one for 38 in ten overs. Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, Saurav Ganguly and Nikhil Chopra bowled within themselves but were unlucky not to get a wicket.
