India 238 for 7 (Abhishek 84, Rinku 44*, Duffy 2-27) beat New Zealand 189 for 7 (Phillips 78, Chapman 39, Dube 2-28, Varun 2-37) by 48 runs
After New Zealand opted to bowl, India came out with an ultra-aggressive approach. Each of India’s top five batters opened their accounts with a boundary. But it was Abhishek who carried on for the longest and hurt New Zealand the most, hitting five fours and eight sixes during his stay. Rinku’s innings ensured India finished with a dew-proof total.
The only worry for them would be Axar Patel’s injury. He walked off the field after hurting his index finger on the bowling hand while attempting to stop a shot from Phillips off his own bowling, and didn’t return.
An action-packed powerplay
There was no shortage of action in the first six overs, with each side landing regular punches. Abhishek opened his account with a straight six off Jacob Duffy in the first over. Sanju Samson did so with a pulled four off Kyle Jamieson in the next. Three balls later, he pulled Jamieson for another four but the bowler had his revenge on the next delivery when Samson flicked one tamely to short midwicket.
Ishan Kishan, playing his first T20I in over two years, marked his return with a first-ball four over the bowler’s head. But he lasted just five deliveries; Duffy had him caught at extra cover with a slower ball. That reduced India to 27 for 2 in the third over. But Abhishek and Suryakumar Yadav kept attacking. Abhishek dealt in sixes, hitting four of those in the powerplay, while Suryakumar collected two overs and a six to take India to 68 for 2 after six overs.
Abhishek’s carnage
Suryakumar too contributed with back-to-back fours off Sodhi, the first his trademark ‘Supla’ shot over short fine leg and the second, and perhaps even better, a straight-bat drive through midwicket against a short ball. But just as it was looking like he was getting back to his best, Santner had him caught at long-on for 32 off 22.
Abhishek, though, showed no mercy. He launched Santner over deep square leg for his sixth six before hitting two more against Sodhi. He was looking for a third six of the over when he holed out to wide long-on.
New Zealand go slow, India don’t
Hardik Pandya hung around for a bit, scoring 25 off 16 to take India into the death overs. But the New Zealand seamers used the slower ball to get rid of him, and Shivam Dube and Axar Patel on either side of him. With 13 balls left, Rinku had Arshdeep Singh for company, but he did not let India slow down. He got to face only one ball in the 19th over but kept the strike in the 20th, hitting Daryl Mitchell for two fours and two sixes in a 21-run over.
New Zealand struggle to get going
From the other end, Pandya had Rachin Ravindra caught at first slip for 1. Tim Robinson and Phillips took the side to 50 at the end of the powerplay but Varun Chakravarthy pegged them back with Robinson’s wicket in the seventh.
Phillips plays a lone hand
By the end of the seventh over, the required rate had crossed 14. But Phillips did not give up. He hit two sixes each off Varun and Axar and brought up his fifty in 29 balls. He was equally severe on Dube, launching him over deep midwicket, into the manual scoreboard for a 105-metre six. But when he attempted another big hit against Axar, he miscued and found long-on. New Zealand needed 108 from 6.3 overs at that time. Mark Chapman’s 39 off 24 and Mitchell’s 28 from 18 only reduced the margin of the defeat, which was still pretty heavy.
Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo