India chased 180 against New Zealand in Christchurch, but Sooryavanshi’s cameo at No.3 failed to change the tide.
Sooryavanshi, who stepped in for an injured Ishan Kishan, was bowled out for just four off eight, his first ball coming in the sixth over and sending the crowd into a brief hush.
Ashwin, watching from the sidelines, called the youngster a "miss" and urged the board to rethink his spot, noting he felt the teen was "like a fish out of water" and needed a senior partner to calm him.
The middle order, however, turned the match on its head. Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ramandeep Singh kept the scoreboard ticking, with Ramandeep smashing Mitchell Santner’s pace with a thunderous six and the trio delivering a steady onslaught that kept India ahead.
India now faces the decisive third T20I on Sunday, a match that will decide the series and test whether Sooryavanshi can adapt to a new role.