India vs New Zealand 1st T20I Full Commentary

Welcome back for India's reply with the bat. There's a sparkling light show going on at the Hagley Oval to keep the crowd entertained. The Kiwis emerge and form a huddle near the ropes. Now, they disperse to take their respective fielding positions. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are the two Indian openers making their way to the 22 yards. Matt Henry, boasting 53 T20I wickets, is ready to steam in with the new ball. Samson is on strike and there's a slip in place. Off we go again...

... The Run Chase ...

Big task ahead - Every Indian bowler went at 10 runs per over or more, and it was a forgettable return for Bhuvneshwar Kumar as well with Nitish and Mayank the least expensive of all, still conceding 40 runs apiece. But with a power-packed batting lineup, India still have enough firepower in their arsenal to get the job done. To do so, they will need to pull off their highest successful run chase in T20Is on New Zealand soil. It will not be easy, though, as the Black Caps are well stocked with some threatening seamers. Let us see how it unfolds. Back shortly with the run chase.

Phillips' brute force glitters at Hagley Oval - A few quiet overs in the middle phase briefly slowed the scoring, but Phillips refused to let the momentum slip, coming out swinging to keep the rate healthy with a blitz half-century. He eventually finished with a swashbuckling 82 off just 40, graced with eight fours and three sixes. Jacobs at the other end, offered able support, and together the pair took the baton, keeping New Zealand's counterattack alive. They formed a quickfire 73-run partnership which took the Kiwis to a big total, with 67 runs coming in the last 5 overs.

Wham, bam, slam - India's new-ball attack came out firing, extracting sharp movement and extra bounce to keep New Zealand's batters pinned down early. But a Free Hit off Bhuvneshwar's bowling handed the visitors the spark they needed, and they seized the moment, counterattacking boldly through the field restrictions, with Allen shifting through the gears once he settled in. Yet the very aggression that sparked his flourish eventually became his undoing. His dismissal left New Zealand at 80/2, bringing together two relatively new batters and handing India a timely opening.

A 'batathon' in Christchurch - Honestly, there is no better way to put it. It was simply brutal ball striking, with the ball being tonked and thumped to all parts of the park. New Zealand have posted their highest T20I total against India on home soil with Glenn Phillips the top scorer, entertaining one and all with some outrageous shots. The Indian bowlers once again found it hard to make inroads into the opposition's batting lineup, conceding 200 or more for the fourth game in a row, with three of those totals breaching 225. It is a growing concern for the Men in Blue, and they seem to have no answers for this at the moment.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-0-35-0) will bowl the last over of the first innings. Also, India have been penalised for not completing their overs in time. Meaning, India will have to keep an extra fielder inside the ring.

An important wicket for the Indians. Jacobs walks back, very disappointed. Michael Bracewell walks in at number 6.

Is that a run out at the batting end? Arshdeep ran forward on his follow-through, and kicked the ball into the stumps. Jacobs dived but his bat was still marginally out of the crease. The TV umpire needed to check whether Arshdeep's left knee made contact with the stumps before the ball did. Another angle settled it, confirming that it was the ball that struck first, with his knee well clear of the stumps.

See you for round two - And that is that from a thrilling first night in Christchurch. The opener of a long tour lived up to the billing, with the two sides trading blows in an entertaining contest that went down to the final over. There is just a day’s break before the teams get right back at it here at the Hagley Oval, with the second T20I scheduled for Saturday, October 24. It is another sell-out, and the first ball will be bowled at 7 am GMT (12.30 pm IST). As always, you can join us early for the build-up. Until then, take care, and goodbye.

The skipper of India - Shreyas Iyer says it feels fantastic, joking that they do not have to worry about jet lag anymore. But he is quick to admit that when they started bowling, the pitch was playing a bit slow and they bowled slightly ahead of the hard lengths they wanted to hit. He details that once the dew came in, the ball started coming onto the bat nicely, and chasing 220, getting 85 in the first six overs was a tremendous start. On the openers, Iyer says they are experienced enough and do not need to be told how to go about their business. He notes that it does not happen every time, but when they click, they set up the game, and the rest of the batting unit tries to steady the ship and finish it off. On Naman Dhir, Iyer showers a lot of praises for him. Says that he (Dhir) gives the team a lot of options, and feels the calm and composed nature he showed tonight was magnificent.

The captain of New Zealand - Mitchell Santner, when asked about the blow to the head while attempting a catch, says it was a bit of whiplash, but he is feeling okay now. Feels the top order went about its business well, with Glenn Phillips consolidating the innings and Bevon Jacobs also striking well. Mentions that they were reasonably happy with the total and acknowledges that they were not at their best with the ball. He feels it was a tight game, with both teams having moments that could have gone either way.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Sanju Samson has been given the accolade for his swashbuckling 67 off just 33 balls. Samson says it feels really good, adding that they are just in the moment of having won the match and that whatever contribution you make, it feels good when the team wins. He calls it a nice overall contribution from everyone. On his conversations with Abhishek while batting, Samson shares that they do have conversations, but it does not make much sense, as they just watch the ball and hit it hard. About the pitch and the conditions, he says there was a lot of swing, too much in the second half actually. He notes that off the surface, the ball was coming on nicely, so they were trying to hold their shape. Samson adds that he summed up his game plan while keeping, but when he came out to bat, it was totally different.

Time for the presentation ceremony...

Recap of the first innings - After New Zealand were asked to bat first, Finn Allen and Tim Seifert started watchfully before teeing off, but neither could play the long hand. It was Glenn Phillips who did the heavy lifting, keeping the boundaries coming at regular intervals and making the most of the long square boundaries to pick up twos. Bevon Jacobs chipped in with a vital cameo, and with Phillips batting through, New Zealand posted 225, their highest T20I total against India on home soil. There wasn't much to write home about for India with the ball. They were well below their best, and the fielding also left much to be desired.

A chase with a wobble - Despite the quick turnaround from the West Indies series and all the travel, it was business as usual for Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as they set out to chase 226. The opening pair came out all guns blazing, and India’s Powerplay of 94/1 put them well ahead of the curve. Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner dragged New Zealand back into it as the visitors lost their way through the middle phase, which has been happening often lately. The resurrection came through the stand between Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer, with both batters surviving dropped catches. Iyer could not see the chase through himself, but Naman Dhir took the tourists home without any further hiccups. None of the Kiwi pacers, apart from Nathan Smith, could bring about any control, and one wonders why it took so long for him to be introduced.

India go 1-0 up - The Men in Blue have pulled off their highest successful chase in T20Is, and that is one way to kickstart a long tour. At the halfway mark, New Zealand would have felt they had enough runs on the board, but they couldn't back it up with the ball. Their fielding also fell short of the standards they pride themselves on, as India made the most of their opportunities to seal a memorable win.

Down to the final over. We couldn't have asked for a better start to this long, all-format series between the two sides. Just like India, New Zealand have also been penalised for a slow over rate. They will be allowed only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle for the final over. Matt Henry has been handed the ball.

The new batter is Nitish Kumar Reddy.

Adam Milne to bowl the 19th over, with India needing 16 runs from 12 balls.