NZ vs IND, 1st T20I: Sanju Chetta fires as India chase 226 despite failed gamble by Tilak

Results in brief: India (230/6 in 19.4 overs) beat New Zealand (225/4 in 20 overs) by 4 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

There were plenty of Sanju Samson fans at Hagley Oval, which was packed to bursting for the first T20I of the five-match series in Christchurch. A giant ‘Sanju Chetta’ banner billowed on the grassy banks of the scenic ground and the superstar batter did not disappoint. Under constant pressure to retain his place in the playing XI, Samson smashed a 33-ball 67 as India successfully chased down 226 to script their most successful chase in T20I cricket so far on Thursday.

1st T20I: Highlights | Scorecard

Samson and Abhishek Sharma added 93 runs for the first wicket in just 35 balls to give India a flying start after Glenn Phillips’ lightning attack helped New Zealand post an impressive 225 in 20 overs. Questions were raised about India’s reluctance to give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a chance at the top of the order, but the two relatively senior openers repaid the faith shown in them by head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer. Sanju Samson fans in Christchurch (Screengrab by SonyLiv)

On the eve of the match, Iyer said the Indian players were getting little sleep due to the hectic schedule. However, Samson and Abhishek showed no signs of tiring as they plundered runs in the powerplay and extended their impressive run against New Zealand in T20Is.

Cameos from Naman Dhir (42 off 15 balls) and Iyer (42 off 28) ensured that India did not feel the pressure of the increasing pace required, despite a failed experiment involving Tilak Varma. Promoted to No.3, Tilak managed just six runs off 11 balls, offering New Zealand a glimmer of hope after the carnage unleashed by the Indian openers. It was an inexplicable move, given that Ishan Kishan, the natural No.3, had consistently provided explosive impetus in the middle order. Tilak struggled to get in against the New Zealand spinners before eventually falling to Michael Bracewell’s off-spinner.

As India slumped from 93 for 1 to 122 for 4, Iyer held the innings together. The skipper put together a crucial 45-run partnership with Axar Patel for the fifth wicket, with the latter providing the impetus by smashing boundaries of six and three. Iyer managed two sixes and a boundary but kept the scoreboard ticking and prevented New Zealand from building sustained pressure. He was hit on the toes by a nasty no-ball from Nathan Smith but was able to continue, giving India a platform from which to close out the contest.

The finisher was again Naman Dhir. The Mumbai Indians all-rounder has grabbed his opportunities with both hands since his T20I debut earlier this month. He hit two sixes and five boundaries to remain unbeaten on 42 off 15 deliveries, taking India over the finish line with two balls to spare.

A staggering 451 runs were scored in the series opener, defying pre-match predictions that scoring would be difficult on a chilly evening at Hagley Oval, a venue known for its relatively large boundaries. No team has crossed the 200-run mark in T20I cricket in New Zealand’s previous 16 innings. Still, there was no shortage of fireworks with the bat on a day when the bowlers looked to impress.

For India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been quite expensive on his return to the T20I side. He conceded 48 runs in four overs, marking his first appearance for India in the format in almost four years.

India went with five specialist bowlers, opting for all-rounder Naman ahead of the return of Varun Chakravarthy. However, the bowling attack struggled to stem the flow of runs. None of the Indian bowlers conceded less than 10 runs in an over as Tim Seifert and Finn Allen gave the hosts a quick start after India won the toss and elected to bowl.

Mayank Yadav, who replaced Prince Yadav in the playing XI, took the wicket and impressed with figures of 1 for 40 from his four overs. Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel also chipped in with a wicket apiece.

Nitish Kumar Reddy lost the wicket but at least spared his captain a more expensive outing as he conceded 40 runs in his four overs.

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