WRAP-UP: That’s it from us here tonight, folks. Just like the ODI series, we’ll have a decider! And if the match in Trivandrum is half as good as the thriller in Kanpur, we’ll have a cracker on our hands. Join us then. Goodnight!

Post-match: Virat Kohli praising Bumrah-Bhuvi for pulling Black Caps back under 200, says his team was left with too much to do after losing 4 wickets. Concludes saying, pitch started taking but no excuses, NZ were the much better side. And yes, defends Pandya and Dhoni saying they have delivered often in the recent past and that this is just a glitch.

Kane Willliamson all praise for his bowlers for being disciplined under not-so-easy conditions, calls his spinners outstanding.

Man of the match, of course, is Colin Munro for his 2nd T20I hundred, both coming in 2017.

It’s all over, New Zealand have won by 40 runs: And even that margin doesn’t convey how dominating this performance has been by the Black Caps. Trent Boult was magnificent with the new ball and old, Santner and Sodhi were fantastic with their variations and except Kohli’s imperious 65, India did not look like chasing it down at all.

Wicket, Dhoni falls in the final over: After a huge six over midwicket, Dhoni is dimissed on 49. A 50 here would have been painful to acknowledge perhaps.

Wicket, Axar Patel is gone: It’s just a matter of time now, as NZ have put in a brilliant show. Boult comes back and removes the left hander, who hits it straight to cover. Dhoni, meanwhile, continues to rotate around. After 18 overs INDIA: 132/6 (65 runs required from 12 balls)

WICKET, Kohli’s gone and so are India’s hopes: Well, that’s that. Kohli was the only one getting any sort of momentum going for him but with the required reaching 20, it was a losing battle. He played magnificently though. India 72 off 18 balls.

Meanwhile, Dhoni’s getting a lot of flak (perhaps understandably so for his innings)

After 15 overs INDIA: 112/4 (85 runs required from 30 balls): Virat Kohli is timing everything like a dream, but is struggling to get back on strike. Dhoni hits a big six off Sodhi’s 2nd ball in the 14th over and then played 3 dot balls before taking a single off the last ball! Strange, strange batting. And more dot balls in the 15th off Milne, who concedes just 6.

FIFTY FOR VIRAT KOHLI: Chaos at the other end, serenity at his. Virat Kohli has played a near-perfect innings here in Rajkot, getting to his 18th T20I fifty off just 32 balls. Extra-cover drives, straight drives, on-drives galore. Celebrates getting to his 50 without too much fuss - he’s in the mood. But surely it’s improbable from here? After 13 overs INDIA: 97/4 (100 runs required from 42 balls)

India in deep, deep trouble: While Kohli dispatched Santner for 17 runs in an over, India have slipped up badly in the last two overs. First Shreyas Iyer succumbs to the pressure of the required rate by skying one to Munro off his own bowling. Pandya walks in next and is dismissed early yet again by Ish Sodhi. Misreads a googly completely, is bowled through bat-pad gap. Kohli left with a forlorn look at the non-striker’s end.

After 10 overs INDIA: 71/4 (126 runs required from 60 balls)

End of powerplay, India 40/2 after 6 overs: Phew, it’s been breathless so far. After that two-wicket over by Boult, Kohli and Iyer counter-attack. 14 runs from Boult’s next over as Iyer races to 20 off 9 balls with 4 fours. Kohli with two hits to the boundary as well. But then last two overs of the powerplay, NZ pull India back. Just two Milne and three from Santner as India’s counter-attack dies a quick death.

Two wickets in an over! Boult has jolted India: What an over! First to go is Shikhar Dhawan, who is slow to react to a good length ball that nips back in and hits the top of middle stump. Two balls later, Rohit edges one to the keeper and the umpire takes forever before giving him out.

Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, was the man to come in to bat at no. 3 and started with a square drive for 4 in Boult’s over. And two more boundaries off de Grandhomme’s first over to get off to a great start in India colours. After 3 overs INDIA: 21/2 (176 runs required from 17 overs)

1st over, India 6/0 (191 runs required from 19 overs): Steady start by Rohit Sharma as Adam Milne starts proceedings for Kiwis. Second ball is pulled in typical Rohit style for four, over mid-on but just 2 more runs after that.

DELAY IN RAJKOT

08:50 pm: The wait is longer than expected. India’s chase delayed, due to floodlight failure in Rajkot. Meanwhile, some reactions from the NZ innings.

End of New Zealand innings, India need 197 to win: All said and done, Bumrah and Bhuvi pull things back in the final three overs, just 22 runs conceded there and the Black Caps fall short of 200. Mental advantage, India then? But take nothing away from Munro who was sensational. It’s an easy pitch to bat on, sure, but he made the boundaries look smaller than they already are. Join us on the other side of the innings break.

CENTURY FOR MUNRO: What an innings this has been! Sure he’s been dropped a couple of times and should have been run out, but to get to a century in just 54 balls shows how good he has been. 7 fours and 7 sixes. And his second T20I century, both coming in 2017 – the first man to achieve that in a calendar year. After 19 overs NZ: 187/2

After 16 overs, NZ: 158/2, run rate 9.87: Meanwhile, the Munro blitz continues. Gets a lucky boundary off Siraj’s wicket-taking over through fine leg, and then hits one more off Bhuvi in the next. But he really shouldn’t have been out there after that over, Chahal puts down a fairly simple high catch off Munro after Bhuvi completely deceived him with a slower one. He is nearing a rapid century here.

WICKET, SIRAJ GETS HIS FIRST: Not a bad name to be your first ever international cricket – Kane Williamson. Something to smile for the youngster who fires one full and fast on Williamson’ pads and he clips it to Rohit Sharma at deep square leg.

After NZ: 136/1 (Run rate: 9.71, Munro 73 off 36 balls): It’s Munro madness in Rajkot! The ball’s flying to all parts of the ground. Six and a four off Pandya’s first takes him to 73 off 36. And he continued to target Axar in the previous over. Fielders are becoming spectators.

WICKET, GUPTILL’s GONE: After a 105-run opening stand, India finally strike. Chahal is the man to do the trick. Very similar to his dismissal in the first match, mistimes a lofted heave over long-on and it goes towards long off, where Pandya takes a simple catch. Munro at the other end has reached his 50, with two sixes off Axar Patel – the second a drop by Shreyas at long on.

After 9 overs, NZ 72/0: Chahal with a good comeback in the first over after powerplay going for just 4 runs. Can’t say the same for Siraj, though – Munro muscles him for two sixes, first over long on and then one soaring over midwicket. Axar comes into the attack and with his tight line and length, concedes just 4.

End of powerplay, NZ 48/0: An excellent start for New Zealand! The Black Caps, especially Guptill, has come out with plenty of purpose. Bumrah comes in to the attack in the 4th over, and his two poweroplay overs go for just 9 runs. But Guptill goes after Chahal in the 5th over and how! 6, 4, 6 to welcome him to the attack.

After 3 overs, NZ 21/0: A good start for New Zealand this, not so much for Siraj. Concedes 9 in his first over with Munro and Guptill getting a boundary each. Didn’t do much wrong but at this level, the good length balls will get punished. Bhuvi from the other end concedes six, with a four off the last ball,.

Siraj meanwhile, was in tears after the national anthem. What a moment for the youngster!

1st over, NZ 5/0: Good start from Bhuvi. Just five runs from that despite conceding an early boundary when Guptill stepped down and whipped it over square leg. Varies his lengths throughout and Guptill plays it safe.

PLAY!

07:00 pm: Underway in Rajkot. Martin Guptill, Colin Munro walk out. Bhuvneshwar Kumar to start things off for India.

A proud moment for Mohammed Siraj

The youngster will make his India debut tonight. It’s been an incredible journey for the kid. “The day I got an IPL contract, I told my father that I won’t let him work anymore. Usi din se maine father ko bola ki aap abhi rest kaaro(that very day I told Dad that now you can rest). And yes, I have shifted with my family to a new house,” he had said after his selection to the squad.

And now he makes his debut.

TOSS

06:30 pm: Kane Williamson calls tails again, and it is tails again. He says his team will bat first, unlike in Delhi. Virat Kohli says he would have bowled first anyway, so there you go.

Teams: Mohammed Siraj makes his debut!

06:25 pm: Hello and welcome to The Field’s live blog of the second T20I between India and New Zealand in Rajkot. After their first ever win against the Black Caps in the shortest format on Wednesday, team India will look to seal the series tonight. Should be a cracker!

(All screenshots courtesy Hotstar)