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An excellent display of left-arm spin bowling by New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner (2/11) along with a couple of fifties from middle order batter Daryl Mitchell (59)* and opener Devon Conway (52) helped the Kiwis to register a 21-run victory over India in the 1st T20I at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi, on Friday.
With this victory, New Zealand won their first tour match and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series despite a brilliant display of all-round performance by Washington Sundar.
After being asked to bat first, New Zealand opener Conway scored a magnificent 52 off 35 balls, hitting seven fours and a six at a strike rate of 148.57 to provide a solid foundation to his side.
In the end, middle-order batter Mitchell scored a quick-fire fifty by smashing 59 off 35 deliveries, with three fours and five maximums including an expensive 27-run final over from left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh to power the Kiwis to a fighting total of 176/6 in 20 overs.
The pick of the bowlers for India were Sundar who took 2/22 from his four overs while left arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav ended with figures of 1/20.
While chasing, talismanic batter Suryakumar Yadav (47 off 34) and captain Hardik Pandya (21 off 20) added a 68-run partnership off 51 balls for the fourth wicket, to take India from 15/3 to 83/4.
In the end, Sundar played some brilliant strokes all around the park to bring up his maiden T20I fifty by scoring 50 off 28 balls with five fours and three sixes and kept fighting to keep India in the hunt.
Despite a superb effort with the bat from Sundar, India’s loss was inevitable as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and ended up at 155/9 in 20 overs.
That’s that from Ranchi.
New Zealand win the first T20I by 21 runs in Ranchi.#TeamIndia will look to bounce back in the second #INDvNZ T20I.@mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/Lg8zmzwYVH
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 27, 2023
While chasing, India lost their top three in the powerplay as Santner, Michael Bracewell (2/31) and Ish Sodhi (1/30) controlled their line and length well and took the most out of the pitch which had some surprising turn to offer.
Defending a total of 176, New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell struck on his third ball in the second over and bowled Ishan Kishan with a good length ball which turned past his outside edge to hit the off stump.
In the next over, Rahul Tripathi was dismissed caught behind for a six-ball duck off Jacob Duffy, after his shot across the line took an outside edge behind to the wicket-keeper.
Left-arm spinner Santner took the wicket of India opener Shubman Gill on his first ball of the match as Gill went on the backfoot to pull a slower delivery which stopped and turned square going way outside the reach of him, resulting in a bottom edge going to square leg.
With the ball turning and gripping on the surface, Santner varied his pace with an accurate length against in-form Suryakumar to slip in a maiden over in the last over of the power-play
After hitting a four against Santner and a six off Lockie Ferguson, Suryakumar took on leg spinner Sodhi by playing sweeps through the fine leg and square leg with perfect placement for boundaries.
He then pounced on short and wide balls outside the off stump from Blair Tickner, which gave him room to cut through the off-side twice for fours.
In the 12th over from Sodhi, Suryakumar played the inside out over extra cover for a six, which is one of his favourite shot.
However, on the very next ball, he was deceived by a wrong one from the leg-spinner and timed the ball so well that it went straight to long-on as Suryakumar ended his innings on 47 off 34, hitting six fours and two sixes.
In the next over from Bracewell, Hardik went for a pull which took a top edge and went straight up in the sky as the bowler moved to his right to complete the catch.
Despite getting a life off Bracewell, Deepak Hooda went all out against Santner and danced down the pitch to miss a shorter delivery which turn past his bat and got him stumped for 10 in the 16th over.
India’s batting continued to collapse as Santner ran out Shivam Mavi at the bowler’s end while Kuldeep was caught behind off Ferguson.
Sundar, who was dropped in the 14th over off Ferguson, was a lone fighter for India, keeping the hopes of fans alive with some excellent cricketing shots to score 50 off just 28 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 178.57.
23-year-old Sundar completed his fifty in 25 balls by smashing Ferguson over long-on for a six in the final over. After being dropped by Sodhi at mid-off, Sundar edged one straight to the third man fielder with just one ball left in the innings as New Zealand registered a comfortable 21-run victory over India.
Daryl Mitchell was awarded Player of the Match for his unbeaten match-winning knock of 59 off 30 balls, which included three fours and five sixes.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 176/6 in 20 overs (Daryl Mitchell 59 not out, Devon Conway 52; Washington Sundar 2/22, Kuldeep Yadav 1/20) beat India (Washington Sundar 50, Suryakumar Yadav 47; Mitchell Santner 2/11, Michael Bracewell 2/31) by 21 runs.
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