Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh headline India win vs NZ in high-scoring first T20I

India outclass New Zealand in first T20I [Source: @BCCI/x]

Team India overcame New Zealand in a high-scoring cracker to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series. With nearly two dozen sixes lighting up Nagpur, Abhishek Sharma’s dynamism rose above the carnage, becoming the defining factor between the two batting-heavy sides.

Here, we take a look at the entire highlights from the first T20I of the five-match series between India and New Zealand, as it panned out at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Wednesday, January 21.

Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh fire India to 238 after early wickets

Batting first, Indian opener Sanju Samson failed to make the most of his second coming at the top as the blistering wicketkeeper-batter was dismissed for just 10 off seven balls by lanky New Zealand paceman Kyle Jamieson. Comeback man Ishan Kishan also failed to lead India’s rescue at number three, falling for eight off five balls courtesy of a slower delivery from Jacob Duffy.

Tottering at 27-2 inside the powerplay, attacking opener Abhishek Sharma fired Team India to a radical counterattack, sharing a swift 99-run partnership with captain Suryakumar Yadav in less than eight overs. Suryakumar himself notched up 32 runs off 22 balls with four fours and a six before the cricketer was dismissed by his New Zealand counterpart Mitchell Santner (1-37).

At the other end, a raging Abhishek Sharma ended up raining down 84 runs from just 35 deliveries with five cracking boundaries and eight huge sixes. Sharma’s blitzkrieg, halted by New Zealand spinner Ish Sodhi (1-38), was complemented by slog-overs fury from Hardik Pandya (25 off 16) and Rinku Singh.

Rinku, in particular, clubbed four fours and three sixes in his fiery 44* from 20 balls as Team India charted a monumental 238-7 in 20 overs.

For New Zealand, new ball pacemen Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson picked up a wicket each in the backend of the innings to claim two wickets apiece in India’s boundary fest. Duffy unfurled the spell of the high-scoring innings with tight figures of 2-27 in his four overs.

Chakravarthy, Shivam Dube outmatch Glenn Phillips’ fighting 78

Indian fast bowler Arshdeep Singh struck big in the first over of the New Zealand chase with the wicket of prolific opening batter Devon Conway for a two-ball duck. Hardik Pandya also removed number three Rachin Ravindra for a single in the following over.

Ace Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy deceived Tim Robinson for 21 as the visitors slipped to 52-3 around the powerplay phase. Glenn Phillips at number four clubbed 78 runs off just 40 balls with four fours and six sixes to top-score in the innings. His 79-run partnership with Mark Chapman (39 off 24) elevated New Zealand past the 100-run mark.

Daryl Mitchell (28 off 18) and captain Mitchell Santner (20* off 13) bludgeoned identical cameos but New Zealand managed to reach just 190-7 in response to fall 48 runs short of India.

For India, Varun Chakravarthy (2-37) and all-rounder Shivam Dube (2-28) both picked up two wickets each in the innings as the hosts took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.