India vs New Zealand 1st T20I: India on Thursday displayed a batting masterclass to chase a mammoth 226-run target during the first T20 international against New Zealand in Christchurch, defeating the Kiwis by four wickets. This is the highest-ever run chase by India in T20 Internationals. India now leads the three-match series 1-0.
Sanju Samson spearheaded the batting attack with a blistering 67 off 33 balls, but found little support from any other batter, except Shreyas Iyer, who scored 42 off 28. At one time, India looked to be struggling after suffering a middle-order collapse, losing three wickets for just seven runs.
However, Naman Dhir's late cameo (42 off 15 balls) helped the team achieve the target with two balls remaining.
India's Middle Order Woes Continue:
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma ensured a flying start to the chase, stitching a partnership of 93 runs for the first wicket. It was Samson's eighth fifty-plus score in 26 innings this year, highlighting his consistent run in the T20 format. Abhishek Sharma (29 off 12) was happy to play second fiddle in the 93-run opening stand.
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However, Indian batters faltered against the spin duo of Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell. Santner clinched Abhishek Sharma's wicket on the last ball of the powerplay. The middle order failed to capitalise on the good start, with India slipping from 93/1 to 122/4 in the next four overs.
Ishan Kishan (1 off 3) and Tilak Varma (6 off 11) failed to cross the long boundaries at Hagley Oval and gave away their wickets in quick succession. Skipper Shreyas Iyer then led the team after the collapse and took the game deep, leaving India to get 55 runs off the last 30 balls with five wickets to spare.
Iyer, however, couldn't make it to the last and was caught on extra cover by Mitchell Santner off Adam Milne's delivery. Naman Dhir came up with timely strikes to release pressure and hit five boundaries in the last two overs. He ended the chase with a six off Matt Henry in the last over, taking his team over the line to register a record run chase.
India's Bowling Fails Again:
While the batters proved their mettle to register a record run chase, India's bowling department displayed a dismal performance again. Indian pacers, including Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Mayank Yadav, were smashed all around the ground by New Zealand batters. Openers Fin Allen and Tim Seifert negated the swing threat at the start before the middle order slayed the bowling attack further.
This is also the first time in India T20I history that all five bowlers conceded over 40 runs each in the four overs. Axar Patel ended up being the costliest bowler, giving away 51 runs for one wicket in four overs. Bhuvneshwar, who returned to international cricket after nearly four years, could not make much of an impact and ended up with 4-0-49-0 figures.