Yuvraj comeback cannot inspire India win

Keep up to date with all that's new around the world - read match reports and more from every international played

New Zealand beat India by one run in the second Twenty20 international in Chennai as Yuvraj Singh was narrowly denied a fairytale return after cancer treatment.

Brendon McCullum carried New Zealand to 167 for five with a blistering 91 before becoming one of Irfan Pathan’s three victims.

Virat Kohli was almost as effective in battering 70 in India’s reply but they ultimately came up just short on 166 for four, despite Yuvraj hitting 34 from 26 balls.

Rain forced the cancellation of Saturday’s scheduled first game, forcing Yuvraj to wait an extra three days for his first appearance since last November having battled mediastinal seminoma, a rare germ-cell cancer.

The Black Caps lost dangerous openers Rob Nicol and Martin Guptill with only two runs on the board but McCullum hit two fours in the same Zaheer Khan over and two more off Lakshmipathy Balaji.

Yuvraj Singh, right, nearly made a winning return for India but Brendon McCullum's 91 helped New Zealand clinch a one-run victory

Kane Williamson had cracked his first delivery for four as he and McCullum quickly righted the listing ship.

Yuvraj was introduced to bowl his left-arm spin in the seventh over, which went for four and saw him beat McCullum’s outside edge.

But the Kiwi wicketkeeper responded with the first six of the innings in Yuvraj’s next over and another off Ravichandran Ashwin, before a four off Balaji took him to a 32-ball half-century.

His stand with Williamson reached 90 before the latter, on 28, lofted Pathan to Ashwin at short fine-leg.

McCullum hit three successive fours off Kohli and Pathan but was then bowled by a slower ball for 91 from 55 balls, with 11 fours and three sixes.

Jacob Oram hit three fours in his 18 not out and captain Ross Taylor finished unbeaten on 25 as Pathan ended with 3-31.

Kohli hit four fours even before losing opening partner Gautam Gambhir for three.

New man Suresh Raina was dropped on 10 by Adam Milne but Kohli carried on undeterred, reaching a 30-ball half-century with a four off Daniel Vettori.

Raina chipped Kyle Mills, who claimed 2-17, to Taylor at short extra-cover to depart for 27, bringing Yuvraj to the wicket to raucous cheers.

He got off the mark second ball with a single but was dropped on nine as McCullum and Mills collided nastily, the seamer being forced off the field after being caught by his keeper’s arm.

Yuvraj and Kohli each hit Vettori for six but a well-judged catch by Mills’ replacement Tim Southee ended Kohli’s 41-ball onslaught, which featured 10 fours and a six.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni started steadily and India were left needing 32 from the last three overs. Seven came from the first, including a Dhoni four, and Yuvraj lifted Oram for six to bring the target to 13 from six balls.

Dhoni added four more but Yuvraj was bowled trying to heave a slower ball from James Franklin for the winning six, and new man Rohit Sharma was twice unable to find a way past Guptill at long-on.