India registered a strong 48-run win against New Zealand in the first T20I of the five-match series. The Men in Blue had posted 238/7 batting first.
India registered a thumping victory in the first T20I of their five-match series against New Zealand at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur. The Men in Blue displayed a complete team performance with both batters and bowlers putting up brilliant performances in the team’s huge win in Nagpur on Wednesday, January 21.
Led by Abhishek Sharma, the hosts piled up a huge score of 238/7 as they punished the New Zealand bowlers. Abhishek slammed a jaw-dropping 84 from 35 balls, laced with five fours and eight sixes, as he completed his 5000 runs in T20 cricket. Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya also contributed, with the skipper making 32 and the latter scoring 25.ย
Meanwhile, Rinku Singh helped in the finish as he put up a blistering knock of 44 from 20 balls. He provided the late push the hosts needed, including a 21-run final over off Daryl Mitchell as India posted 238/7.
The bowlers complemented the batters well with regular strikes. Arshdeep Singh sent back Devon Conway packing on the second ball, with Sanju Samson taking a brilliant catch behind.ย Rachin Ravindra was dismissed by Hardik Pandya off the next over.
Tim Robinson, who has scored a T20I century against Australia but has not been picked in the T20 World Cup squad, was dismissed next as he fell toย Varun Chakaravarthy, mistiming one to Shivam Dube.ย
Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman put up a strong stand of 79 runs as they looked to hunt down what seemed an improbable chase with the required rate rising over 16. But their stand ended when Phillips tried one too many and was caught at long-on off Axar Patel, who later walked off due to a split finger following a blow off Daryl Mitchell. Chapman was the next to fall as he was dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy, who took 2/37 as the visitors kept losing wickets and were never in the chase.
Shivam Dube came to bowl the final over and took two back-to-back wickets but missed out on a hat-trick as New Zealand were restricted to 190/7, 48 short of what India had got in the first innings.