Black Caps v India result: Captain Mitchell Santner suffers injury worry as New Zealand beaten in opening Twenty20
Who’d want to be a bowler?
On a night that saw the summer officially begin in Christchurch, India claimed the first Twenty20 International against the Black Caps by four wickets at Hagley Oval, in a contest that was closer than it perhaps should have been.
A target of 226 wasn’t enough to contain India’s star-studded lineup, as the visitors showed no signs of jetlag after only touching down in New Zealand on Tuesday to record their highest chase in T20 cricket.
The Black Caps face an anxious wait on the fitness of captain Mitchell Santner, who appeared to hurt his neck when landing awkwardly in the field during India’s chase and left the field, even if he returned in the final overs to finish his bowling spell.
Santner had figures of 2-20 before his injury, but conceded 19 from his last six balls to finish with 2-39 as India got home with two deliveries to spare.
India showed no mercy against New Zealand’s frontline pace attack, as Matt Henry (0-57), Adam Milne (1-43), Lockie Ferguson (1-34) and Nathan Smith (0-20) all conceded more than 10 runs per over.
Glenn Phillips’ unbeaten 82 from 40 balls with the bat proved nowhere near enough of a contribution as part of New Zealand’s 225-4, as India picked up exactly where they left off after crushing the Black Caps in this year’s Twenty20 World Cup final.
A breathtaking 67 off 33 balls to India opener Sanju Samson laid the platform for India’s chase, and kept the wolves at bay as the world awaits his axing to see the visitors play 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in his place at the top of the order.
And even if India wobbled in the middle stage of their innings, last-gasp cameos of 42 off 28 to captain Shreyas Iyer and 42 not out off 15 balls to Naman Dhir got the tourists home in the final over.
Iyer’s biggest win arguably came at the toss, as his decision to bowl first allowed India to get the best of the batting conditions come their chase, as a blanket of dew set over Hagley, and made life all the more difficult for the Kiwi attack.
Game two of the five-match series will be played at the same venue on Saturday night.
After being asked to bat first in front of a full house, the Black Caps openers started slowly, but more than made up for it. From 12-0 after two overs, Finn Allen (45 off 23) and Tim Seifert (24 off 17) took the next two for 34 runs, and added 49 off 31 deliveries together.
With the openers gone, and after losing Daryl Mitchell (28 off 19) at the other end, Phillips played the situation to perfection, and showcased his power with three boundaries and three sixes on his way to a 27-ball half-century as India’s bowlers began to wilt.
At 158-3 entering the last five overs, Phillips and Bevon Jacobs (31 off 16) raised the innings’ first 50 stand in just 24 deliveries. Given a chance in the side after injury to Rachin Ravindra, Jacobs showed off his incredible power, and thrice cleared the ropes himself – including sending his first delivery 96m.
Jacobs’ stay came to an end when Arshdeep Singh (1-45) kicked a Phillips forward defence onto the stumps to break the partnership for 73, with more than two overs to go. One final Phillips blitz raised the 200, before taking the 20th over for 14 runs – including a switch hit for four to complete the innings – to set India 226.
However, against the world’s most powerful batting lineup, even asking India to score at more than 11 runs per over would prove futile for the Black Caps.
Abishek Sharma (29 off 12) carving Henry for a first-ball six was all the evidence that New Zealand’s bowlers would have to work for their rewards, as Ferguson conceded 22 runs from his first over.
India’s openers needed just 19 balls to post their 50-stand, helped with 12 wides from the Black Caps, as the visitors hammered 94-1 from the power play.
As the more aggressive of the opening pair, Samson took only 23 balls to reach his half-century – containing seven boundaries and three sixes – even as he lost Abishek at the other end when he cut Michael Bracewell (2-37) to Milne at short third man, as India’s 100 was raised in the seventh over.
The only hope for the Black Caps came through spin, as the slow bowlers were rewarded for their bravery in giving the ball air as India targeted Hagley Oval’s long boundaries.
Samson’s stay ended when he dragged Santner onto his stumps, as India wobbled from 115-1 to 122-4 when Ishan Kishan (1) fell to the captain after the halfway stage, before Santner temporarily exited.
Needing 48 from the final 24 balls, Santner’s return nearly bought the wicket of Dhir, only for an attempted catch at wide long-on to be carried over the rope by Smith, as his final over went for 19 to all but seal India’s win.
And even as Iyer went for 42 when he hit Milne straight to Santner at cover, Dhir kept his composure to take eight from the final over, and earn a 1-0 series lead.
New Zealand 225-4 (Phillips 82 not out; Yadav 1-40)
India 230-6 (Samson 67; Bracewell 2-37)
India win by four wickets
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.