A disciplined batting performance from Team India helped them win the first T20I against New Zealand by six wickets at Eden Park, Auckland.
New Zealand put up a good score of 203 runs on the board, but it wasn’t enough on a batting friendly wicket as KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer batted brilliantly to chase down the total in 19 overs.
India 1-0 New Zealand
Shreyas Iyer hits a six to finish off the game in style with an over to spare. India take the early lead in the five match T20I series and win the first match at Auckland by six wickets.
Shreyas Iyer reaches fifty as India nears win:
Shreyas Iyer is back to top form with a solid half-century. He hits a six off the first ball and then backs it up with a boundary off the next delivery to reach the mark in 26 balls.
Iyer keeps it going:
The required run rate is well under control as India need 29 runs from 18 deliveries. Shreyas Iyer hits a six off the short ball from Tim Southee. India – 175/4 after 17 overs.
Sodhi leaks runs in final over:
Manish Pandey gets into the attack as he hits a marginally short delivery for a maximum. Shreyas Iyer gets a boundary with a cut shot as well. 14 runs from Sodhi’s final over. India – 165/4 after 16 overs.
Shivam Dube has to go:
All-rounder Shivam Dube holes out to Tim Southee at long-on off Ish Sodhi. India 142/4 in 13.2 overs.
STUNNER!
It’s Kohli’s wicket and Tickner has claimed it but the ‘stunner’ is all about Martin Guptill who dived forward to get the Indian skipper out for 45 runs.
WICKET!
KL Rahul skies a delivery from Ish Sodhi and Tim Southee takes a comfortable catch at long-on. He scored 56 runs off 27 deliveries. India reach 115/2 in 10 overs.
Fifty for KL:
KL Rahul smashes Blair Tickner for a six over long-on to reach his half-century off 23 balls.
Kohli, KL on song:
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul look in good touch as India are placed well at 65/1 in six overs.
Rohit Sharma departs:
Indian opener Rohit Sharma is dismissed by Mitchell Santner. He scored seven runs. India 16/1 in 1.4 overs.
New Zealand score 203/5 in 20 overs:
Bumrah gives away 12 runs in the last over as Ross Taylor’s unbeaten fifty propels the Kiwis to a competitive total.
Shami ends expensive spell
Mohammed Shami bowls a relatively decent over after going for 22 runs in his previous one. 9 runs from the penultimate over including a boundary. New Zealand – 191/5 after 19 overs.
WICKET!
Tim Seifert batting way down the order than his usual position goes after Jasprit Bumrah on the second delivery he faces. Seifert gets deceived by Bumrah’s slower one and mistimes it to long on fielder Shreyas Iyer. Just fours runs and a wicket from the over. New Zealand – 182/5 after 18 overs.
Williamson departs fifty
Kane Williamson hits Yuzvendra Chahal for three boundaries in the over and gets to his 10th T20I half-century. Chahal bowls the last delivery away from Williamson and it goes straight up in the air. Williamson departs for 51 from 26 deliveries. New Zealand – 178/4 after 17 overs.
Taylor blows Shami away
Ross Taylor hits Mohammed Shami for a four and two huge sixes. The way Taylor is hitting sixes, he can clear any cricket ground. Brute power, strength on display from the veteran. 22 runs from the over. New Zealand – 165/3 after 16 overs.
Taylor manipulates Jadeja:
First, Ross Taylor used Ravindra Jadeja’s pace to get a boundary, playing it away from the short third man fielder. Then, Taylor forced Jadeja to ball a little slower and his arc. The veteran gets into the position quickly and hits it over deep mid-wicket boundary and deep into the crowd. New Zealand – 143/3 after 15 overs.
Williamson goes big again:
It is hard to believe that Kane Williamson has hit four sixes in his innings already but not a single four. Williamson hits Shivam Dube for a flat six over deep square leg. 9 runs from Dube’s third over. Williamson’s batting at a strike rate of 200. New Zealand – 130/3 after 14 overs.
Jadeja strikes!
Ravindra Jadeja gets Colin de Grandehomme in his second delivery of the match. New Zealand: 117/3 in 12.2 overs.
The support at Eden Park:
Munro departs:
Kane Williamson smashes Shardul Thakur for two consecutive sixes before Thakur gets Colin Munro caught at the square leg for 59 runs.
End of 10 overs:
New Zealand reach 91/1 with Kane Williamson and Colin Munro at the crease.
Munro reaches fifty:
Colin Munro reaches his half-century with a boundary that went off his edge. He took 36 balls to reach the mark.
Guptill departs:
Martin Guptill is caught by Rohit Sharma at the square-leg boundary off Shivam Dube. He scored 30 runs.
Spin attack:
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal comes into the attack in the seventh over and gives away just five runs. New Zealand: 73/0 after seven overs.
End of Powerplay:
Guptill ends the powerplay with a straight six as the Kiwis reached 68/0 in six overs.
50 up for Kiwis:
New Zealand reach 50/0 in 4.3 over with Guptill on 15 and Munro on 31.
Big over for New Zealand:
Colin Munro hits two fours and a six as the Kiwis hit 18 runs in Shardul Thakur’s second over.
Shami introduced:
Mohammed Shami bowls a decent third over and gives away seven runs. New Zealand 26/0.
First six:
Munro lifts Shardul Thakur for the first six of the match over long-off. New Zealand 19/0 after two overs.
End of first over:
New Zealand 7/0 with Guptill and Munro at the crease.
First boundary:
Smashed through the mid-off boundary. Guptill got width outside off stump and he made full use of the opportunity to hit the first boundary of the innings.
Bumrah to start proceedings:
Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has the new ball while Martin Guptill and Colin Munro open for the Kiwis.
Team India looks all set:
TOSS:
India have won the toss and have opted to field
Pitch report from Sunil Gavaskar:
“It’s a boundary-hitting ground. No total is unchaseable. It looks a good pitch to bat on. There isn’t any grass on the surface. Seamers might not get much help from it. It’s a hard deck, so the ball should come on nicely to the bat and encourage strokeplay”
India vs New Zealand teams:
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul(w), Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami
New Zealand (Playing XI): Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Tim Seifert(w), Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Hamish Bennett
Full schedule of India tour of New Zealand
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