India registered a memorable win against New Zealand in the first T20I at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday, October 22.
The Kiwis were invited to bat first by Shreyas Iyer. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert got the hosts off to a flying start, adding 49 runs in five overs. After Seifert was dismissed for 24, Allen and Daryl Mitchell carried the innings forward, mixing caution with aggression.
Allen, who was looking very dangerous, holed out to Tilak Varma at long off as Axar Patel gave India a much-needed breakthrough. Mitchell failed to cash in on his start, as he was dismissed for 28.
However, Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs stitched a 73-run stand off 32 balls to take the Kiwis towards a formidable total. Jacobs was unfortunately run-out for 31, but Phillips batted till the end, finishing unbeaten on 82 off 40 balls. New Zealand finished on 225/4 in 20 overs.
In reply, Indian openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson wreaked havoc inside the powerplay. They added 93 runs inside the first six overs before Abhishek was dismissed for 29 off 12 balls. Tilak Varma departed for six, but Samson played well to score 67 off 33 balls.
The home side bounced back through the middle overs, thanks to captain Mitchell Santner and fellow spinner Michael Bracewell. They bagged two wickets apiece. Axar Patel chipped in with a handy 24 off 14 balls, while Shreyas held the innings together, scoring 42 off 28 balls. However, the star of the show at the backend of the innings was Naman Dhir. The 26-year-old amassed 42 off just 15 balls as India romped home with four wickets and two balls to spare.
NZ vs IND: Talking Points
1. Naman Dhir excels in finisher's role
Naman Dhir played the best and certainly the most important knock of his young international career. When he arrived at the crease, India needed 59 runs in 33 balls. The youngster smashed five fours and two sixes, finishing unbeaten on 42 off 15 deliveries to take India home.
2. Sanju Samson scores his third fifty in last six T20Is
There were questions about Sanju Samson's place in the side before the start of the five-match T20I series against the West Indies. However, the wicketkeeper-batter has silenced his critics, having scored three half-centuries in his last six T20I appearances. On Thursday, he scored 67 off 33 balls, hitting eight fours and four sixes, providing the platform from where India could chase down the mammoth target.
3. Bhuvneshwar Kumar disappoints on his comeback
Bhuvneshwar Kumar made his international comeback after four years during the fifth T20I against the West Indies. However, the right-arm seamer didn't get a chance to bowl. On Thursday, he took the new ball and bowled a brilliant first over, conceding just four runs. However, his next three overs went for 45 runs and he remained wicketless. He also bowled two no balls and two wides, which is rare for a disciplined bowler like him. However, with more games coming up, expect improved performances from the 36-year-old.
NZ vs IND: Who Said What?
Mitchell Santner, New Zealand Captain:
How's the neck/head?] A bit of a whiplash there, but yeah, it's okay. [On the batting performance] I think the way the guys went out about it at the top was good. Obviously there was probably a little bit in it at the start and they adapted and adjusted, and then obviously the way GP kind of consolidated in the middle there, he was outstanding. And Bev, some clean striking as well. So we were reasonably happy with the score at halfway. [On the bowling] They put us under pressure. We knew they were going to do that, and yeah, another big powerplay from them. We weren't probably at our best. We can sharpen up a few things, but I think we know what the ball does, so you can slow them down. I think in the middle we did well to kind of squeeze them and then again it was a tight game. So I think both teams could probably look at a few things here and there, I think could have gone either way. [On the improvements for the next game] I think the extras at the start maybe and obviously I think in the field we were pretty good. It's not an easy ground to catch here. A couple more chances, closing overs at times, but, I think the powerplay is always going to be a challenge. I guess we have to find a way of trying to slow them down, but that might be an 80-run powerplay, not a 100.
Shreyas Iyer, India Captain:
[On India's win and whether the team has now overcome the jet lag] Fantastic. Probably we've got to forget about the jet lag now. [On the pitch conditions, India's bowling performance, and how the surface changed during New Zealand's innings] So when we started bowling, I thought it was playing a bit slow. The ball was holding a bit, and we bowled a little ahead compared to the hard lengths we should have been hitting. But as soon as the game progressed, we saw the dew coming in, and the wicket was skidding flatter as the ball was getting through and coming onto the bat pretty well, and that's how they got the momentum and they reached to 220. Kudos to them for the efforts, but obviously we needed that kind of start, especially when you're chasing 220, getting to 80-85 in six overs, that's a tremendous start. [On whether he gives Abhishek and Samson any instructions at the top of the order] Yeah, they're absolutely experienced enough. You don't have to tell them how to go about their business. They know exactly what they're doing, and once they get going, it's just about the momentum they carry forward, and today was just an example of that. So obviously it doesn't happen every time, but once they click, you see that they set a game for us, and the rest of us, we just come and steady the ship and see to it that we finish off the game. [On Naman Dhir's performance and the importance of having a specialist batter who can also bowl at number seven] Yes, absolutely. He gives us a lot of options, especially for lefty batsmen, or even the right-handers batting, especially on this ground, coming in and bowling those two-three crucial overs actually can change the momentum. And I personally feel that the calm and composed nature that he showed today, it was simply magnificent to see him bat.
Sanju Samson, Player of the Match:
[On his performance and India's opening win in the series] It feels really good. I think, yes, we are just in the moment where the match has been won. Whatever contribution you make, I think it feels good to end up on the winning side. So it's a really great contribution from all of us in the team. So it was completely a team game today. So really happy that we started off nicely for the series. [On his opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma and their approach at the top of the order] We do have a lot of conversations happening in the middle, but nothing makes sense actually. We just watch the ball and hit hard. It has been working very well for us and I like batting with him at the top. [On the pitch and the movement of the ball] The ball was swinging around a lot, I think in the second half, a bit too much actually. But off the surface it was coming on very nicely. So I think me and Abhi just felt like keeping the shape and having a very positive intent in the powerplay. Once we got off to a flying start, we felt the match could be finished in the first half as well. Six overs, 90-odd runs - that was a great start today. So I think we just wanted to go all out. [On whether keeping wickets helps him assess the pitch and prepare for batting] Absolutely, you definitely think about your batting while you are keeping wickets. But I think today I summed up my way to play the game while keeping, but when I came to bat, it was completely different. In the first half, the ball was stopping a bit from the length area, but in the second half I think the ball was coming on very nicely with heavy dew in the outfield. So I really enjoyed the batting.
