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NZ vs IND (1st T20I): India Chased Down A Humongous Total With Ease
By CricShots - Jan 24, 2020 4:45 pm
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Riding on quickfire fifties from Colin Munro, Kane Williamson, and Ross Taylor,  New Zealand managed to reach a humungous total of 203 for 5 in the first T20I against India in Auckland. Team India chased down the total with an over to spare and defeated New Zealand in the first of the five-match T20I series at the Eden Park in Auckland with the help of the fifties from KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer. The Indian skipper, Virat Kohli won the toss and asked the hosts to bowl first.

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Shivam Dube dismissed Martin Guptill

Guptill, along with his opening partner, Colin Munro took the Kiwis off to a flyer by targetting Shardul Thakur early in the innings. Guptill made his intentions pretty clear by smashing Jasprit BUmrah for a boundary in the very first over. The hosts surpassed the 50-run mark in merely 4.3 overs as both the openers smashed the ball all around the park and they went on to add 68 runs in the first 6 overs.

WATCH – Rohit Sharma Took A Relay Catch To Dismiss Martin Guptill

However, in the eighth over of the match which was bowled by the Indain all-rounder, Shivam Dube, the brilliant catch from Rohit finally broke the opening partnership of 80 runs. But Guptill’s departure did not bring any respite for India as Munro kept on smashing and got some apt support from his partner in captain Kane Williamson. Munro completed his fifty off 36 balls in the eleventh over with a four off Yuzvendra Chahal.

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KL Rahul and Virat Kohli gave the momentum

But before Munro could get close to scoring his third T20I century against India, Shardul dismissed him for 59. However, despite the quick wickets, Williamson and Ross Taylor brought the momentum back on track quickly. Taylor went on to score a fine fifty to make sure New Zealand finish strongly. However, Bumrah controlled the pace of the innings as he gave away just 16 runs in his last two overs and picked the priced wicket of Tim Seifert.

ALSO READ: Jasprit Bumrah Twisted His Ankle In The Auckland T20I

During the chase, India lost Rohit in the second over itself, but KL Rahul and Kohli carry forward the momentum as they helped the men in blue to went past the 65-run mark in the first 6 overs. Rahul was so much in the mood that he was clearing the boundary with ease as India surpassed the 100-run mark in the 9th over itself.

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Shreyas Iyer played another dominating knock

Rahul and Kohli added as many as 99 runs for the second wicket as Rahul was dismissed by Ish Sodhi after playing a dominating knock of 56 off just 27 balls in the 10th over. Soon after that, Blair Tickner dismissed Kohli in the 12th over and the men in blue were looking in some trouble, but then Dube added some quick 13 off 9 balls, but his dismissal in the 14th over could’ve been the game-changer for the hosts.

Despite those dismissals, Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey didn’t lose they cool as India needed 53 runs off the last 5 overs. Iyer then decided to take the game in his own hands and played a quickfire knock of 59 in just 29 balls and become the man of the match as India chased down the total with an over to spare and 6 wickets in hand.

Brief scores

India: 2014/4 in 19 overs (S Iyer 58*, KL Rahul: 56; I Sodhi: 2/36) defeated New Zealand – 203/5 in 20 overs (C Munro: 59; J Bumrah: 1/31, S Dube: 1/24) by 6 wickets and 6 balls to spare

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