| 0.0 : Hello and welcome, ladies and gents, as the Feroz Shah Kotla hosts its second ever T20I match in its history. There are several things to focus on, but everything else will take a backseat as the local lad Ashish Nehra bids farewell to the cricketing world after tonight. His story is one of inspiration. He defied all odds, and his love for the game kept him adamant to not given in to his deteriorating body. Made his comeback into the team purely based on his performances and now, has been reward |
| Looking at the game, ironically, as things stand, New Zealand would be tipped favourites. Yes, India possess the momentum from the ODI series victory, but the Black Caps have dominated the Men in Blue in this format and played an actual T20I game in Delhi, although they lost. A new format brings about a fresh start and a new challenge, and you can be sure the two teams in question would be up for it. Should be a great game. The toss and other formalities will be coming up in a short while... |
| Pitch Report - Murali Kartik doing the pitch report along with Simon Doull says there are all the makings of a cracker here. States the boundaries are quite small on both sides of the ground. Mentions there's a fair sprinkling of grass, but also feels the surface is a bit cold, tacky, and his nail is going in. Questions if the new ball bowlers and spinners get some purchase. Simon adds he's intrigued to know the combinations, whether the teams will go with two spinners or one. Reiterates that th |
| Toss - Up goes the coin, Kane Williamson calls it correctly and NEW ZEALAND WILL FIELD! |
| New Zealand skipper, Kane Williamson decides to bowl first considering there will be plenty of dew around. Adds that rankings don't matter much when you are facing a team like India. He is disappointed to lose the ODI series and is hopeful that they will do better in this game. On their team combination, Kane replies that they have two frontline seamers and a couple of spinners in their ranks. |
| India skipper, Virat Kohli would have bowled first as well because of the dew. Feels the outfield is quick and the ball will come onto the bat. Regarding the dew factor, the Indian skipper believes that it will be there from ball one and hence no extra advantage for any team. On this being Ashish Nehra's last match, Kohli replies that he has been a great servant of the game and is a true gentleman who is keen to help the youngsters around. Informs that Shreyas Iyer is making his debut today. On |
| Both teams along with the officials have made their way out in the middle for the respective National Anthems. |
| It's time to play the game! Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are the Indian openers. New Zealand are beginning with the spin of Mitchell Santner. Rohit to take strike. A slip in place. Third man and fine leg inside the ring. Long off in place. All set, here we go... |
| 0.1 : M Santner to R Sharma, From around the wicket, it's floated up on middle, Rohit Sharma is forward as he pushes it to the covers. |
| 0.2 : M Santner to R Sharma, Sliding in with some extra bounce off the deck, takes Rohit a little by surprise and he gets hit on the thigh pad. |
| 0.3 : M Santner to R Sharma, First runs of the day for Sharma and India. He stands tall and works it past the mid-wicket fielder for a single. |
| 0.4 : M Santner to S Dhawan, Continues from around the wicket to Dhawan, a touch short in length on middle and leg, Dhawan swivels and pulls it to backward square leg. |
| 0.5 : M Santner to S Dhawan, Skidding off the surface and it comes to Dhawan quicker than he anticipates, kneels down to sweep but it goes off his pads behind on the leg side. A leg bye is taken. |
| 0.6 : M Santner to R Sharma, Short and flat on middle stump, firmly punched back to the bowler. A good first over from Santner, just two runs off it. |
| Trent Boult will bowl from the other end. |
| 1.1 : T Boult to S Dhawan, Ripper first up! Good length delivery in the off stump channel, moves away late and it draws Dhawan forward to play at it. It goes past the outside edge and thuds into the keeper's gloves. |
| 1.2 : T Boult to S Dhawan, FOUR! Errs in line and it's put away without any problem. Angling down the leg side, Dhawan just has to get something on it and he puts his gloves into work. It goes off them and away to the fine leg fence for a boundary. |
| 1.3 : T Boult to S Dhawan, FOUR! Consecutive boundaries! Just what India needed after a tighy first over. Fraction straight in line, that's all Dhawan needs as he flicks it away sweetly through backward square leg for another boundary. |
| 1.4 : T Boult to S Dhawan, Better from Boult. Keeps it outside off and on a length, Shikhar offers a firm punch to covers but can't beat the man there, who dives there to stop it. |
| 1.5 : T Boult to S Dhawan, Dropped! You've got to take those at this level, should have been taken. Shikhar Dhawan is a dangerous customer and he can make you pay. Short and wide outside off, the southpaw flays it and hits it straight to Santner at point. He tries taking it over his head but can't keep a hold of it. It goes behind and two runs are taken. Virat Kohli was dropped in the ODI series and he made them pay. Will we see the opener do the same here today? |
| 1.6 : T Boult to S Dhawan, Back of a length outside off, run down to third man for a single. |
| Tim Southee into the attack now. |
| 2.1 : Tim Southee to S Dhawan, Short of a good length on middle, Shikhar looks to pull it away but gets an inside edge onto his thigh pad. |
| 2.2 : Tim Southee to S Dhawan, Straighter in line, on middle and leg, worked away off the pads behind square on the leg side for a run. |
| 2.3 : Tim Southee to R Sharma, SIX! Top edge but it's gone all the way! The boundaries here are small so expect a lot of 'em to fly all the way, even if no proper connection is made. Short and well outside off, Rohit Sharma throws his hands at the width and gets a big top edge. Flies towards third man and just about goes over a leaping Trent Boult. Nice effort, timed the jump well too. Went just over him. |
| 2.4 : Tim Southee to R Sharma, Shaping back in from a length, on middle stump, tucked away through the leg side for a single. |
| 2.5 : Tim Southee to S Dhawan, Slightly fullish in length and outside off, driven towards mid off for no run. |
| 2.6 : Tim Southee to S Dhawan, Dhawan, seeing the ball a little short, gives the charge and attempts to smash it through the covers. But Santner moves to his left and puts in a solid dive to stop it. |
| 3.1 : T Boult to R Sharma, Good length ball around the off stump line, tapped in front of cover. |
| 3.2 : T Boult to R Sharma, Short ball on middle, Rohit plays his favourite pull shot but doesn't time it well. Still manages to clear the mid-wicket fielder and takes a run. |
| 3.3 : T Boult to S Dhawan, FOUR! Dhawan puts away another ball delivery. It's angling down leg on a shorter length, the left-hander pulls it away and across the fine leg fence for a boundary. |
| 3.4 : T Boult to S Dhawan, Back of a length on the stumps, doesn't rise as much as it goes under Dhawan's pull shot and hits him around the hips. |
| 3.5 : T Boult to S Dhawan, FOUR! Shot! Boult has been a little expensive so far. It's outside off with some width on offer, Dhawan cuts it nicely past Martin Guptill, who's dive is rendered useless. It goes all the way to the boundary line. |
| 3.6 : T Boult to S Dhawan, Stays back to this shorter ball and keeps it out off the back foot. |
| 4.1 : Tim Southee to R Sharma, Outside off on a length, comfortably guided to third man for a single. |
| 4.2 : Tim Southee to S Dhawan, Down the leg side, Dhawan with a attempted half-pull which misses. Wide called by the umpire. |
| Tim Southee to S Dhawan, FOUR! That's a lazy effort from Ish Sodhi! Dhawan just places this behind point and it's rocketing off the surface. The leggie at third man runs to his left, slides and gets his hand to it as well, but it still somehow goes under it and touches the rope. Southee is seen shaking his head, rightly disappointed with the effort. |
| 4.3 : Tim Southee to S Dhawan, Short of a length offering some room to Dhawan outside off, he cuts it square of the wicket and takes one. |
| 4.4 : Tim Southee to R Sharma, Tight line, doesn't offer much to the batsman to work with. It's a length ball on off and Rohit can only punch it back to the bowler. |
| 4.5 : Tim Southee to R Sharma, Just behind a length, Sharma with a slightly opened face taps it down in front of point and takes one. |
| 4.6 : Tim Southee to S Dhawan, Good length delivery aiming the top of off stump, steered straight to point and that'll be the end of the over. |
| Mitchell Santner is back into the attack. |
| 5.1 : M Santner to R Sharma, OOoohhh! Signs of life from the wicket! Santner drops it on middle and off, back of a driving length and it turns and grips. Beats the outside edge of Rohit's hanging bat and goes into the keeper's gloves. |
| 5.2 : M Santner to R Sharma, This one doesn't turn as much, so Sharma clips it away in front of square leg and crosses over. |
| 5.3 : M Santner to S Dhawan, A mistimed hit from Dhawan. He watches the ball pitched fuller so he positions himself for the sweep early. Off the inner half towards backward square leg, where Southee gets something on it with a dive. Takes the pace off it and this allows Sodhi to chase after it and keep it just inside the rope. Two runs saved. |
| 5.4 : M Santner to S Dhawan, Shorter ball from the spinner, pulled away on the leg side for a run. |
| 5.5 : M Santner to R Sharma, Lands it on a driving length, Sharma is down to sweep this time but he doesn't connect. |
| 5.6 : M Santner to R Sharma, FOUR! Takes the aerial route and gets the desired result. Sharma goes inside out to this fuller ball and lofts it over the covers to end the over with a boundary. 46/0 in the Powerplay, a decent one for the hosts. |
| Colin de Grandhomme is on to bowl. |
| 6.1 : de Grandhomme to S Dhawan, Length ball around off, cut away late down to third man for a single. |
| 6.2 : de Grandhomme to R Sharma, Was there an edge? No, there isn't. Back of length ball outside off and it kicks off the deck, Rohit looks to cut but just misses. |
| 6.3 : de Grandhomme to R Sharma, Dropped! Rohit Sharma is the one who gets a life this time 'round. Fuller ball around off, Rohit looks to clear long off but doesn't get the desired distance. Right to Southee who settles under it, but it slips right through his hands. Possibly the dew playing its part already, but now both openers survive a scare. Single taken. |
| 6.4 : de Grandhomme to S Dhawan, FOUR! Dhawan marches on! Fuller length ball on middle, he gets low and sweeps it through backward square leg for a boundary. |
| 6.5 : de Grandhomme to S Dhawan, Skidding again off the surface, catches Dhawan high on the thigh pads as he cannot put any bat on ball. |
| 6.6 : de Grandhomme to S Dhawan, Straight in line again, tucked away to backward square leg for a run. |
| So much dew that the groundsmen are out with the big rope and the Super Sopper doing its thing as well. |
| Ish Sodhi introduced into the bowling attack. |
| 7.1 : Ish Sodhi to S Dhawan, Flat, short and on middle, Dhawan adjusts well inside the crease before he pulls it hard to deep square leg. One run to the total. |
| 7.2 : Ish Sodhi to R Sharma, Pushes it quicker through the air again, on a shorter length once more, Sharma is back as he punches it to the right of the bowler. |
| 7.3 : Ish Sodhi to R Sharma, Much better. Slows it up as he flights it on middle, it turns a long way away and goes under Rohit's bat as he looks to sweep. |
| 7.4 : Ish Sodhi to R Sharma, Connects the sweep this time as he places it through square leg, to the man in the deep for a single. |
| 7.5 : Ish Sodhi to S Dhawan, Googly around off, spins away but Dhawan picks it up quickly. Rocks back and places it behind square on the off side for one more. |
| 7.6 : Ish Sodhi to R Sharma, Tossed up delivery outside off, pushed into the covers. |
| 8.1 : de Grandhomme to S Dhawan, From around the wicket, de Grandhomme bowls it full on middle and off. Shikhar Dhawan moves across his sticks and paddles it fine down the leg side aerially. Picks up a couple of runs for doing so. |
| 8.2 : de Grandhomme to S Dhawan, Comes to the batsman faster, skids off the deck once more, driven down to long off for a single. |
| 8.3 : de Grandhomme to R Sharma, Short of a length on the stumps, pulled away through backward square leg. The fielder out in the deep takes some time to go to his right and get to the ball, and the second run is there for the taking, but the batsmen decide to settle for just the one. Not sure why. |
| 8.4 : de Grandhomme to S Dhawan, Pushed to the cover region by the batsman. They pick up a single. |
| 8.5 : de Grandhomme to R Sharma, No ball! That's a beamer! Not intentional though, it just slipped out of his hands. The dew is heavy out there. Goes right over the batsman and the keeper behind, all the way to the boundary line. Five runs in total, a Free Hit on the way now... |
| de Grandhomme to R Sharma, Short ball around off, Sharma stands his ground and slaps it towards wide long off. Southee there is just inside the rope, he doesn't catch it for some reason. Or did it just slip out of his hands. Either way, it doesn't matter, two runs are taken. |
| 8.6 : de Grandhomme to R Sharma, No ball! Another no ball, it's slipped out again. High full outside off, Sharma gets an edge which goes past the keeper and a run is taken. The umpire has a word with Williamson, tells him probably this is the last warning. Colin won't be taken off though, despite it being the second of the over, as it wasn't dangerous to the batsman in any way. |
| de Grandhomme to S Dhawan, FOUR! That's timed to perfection once more, Dhawan has been doing that all evening so far. Full and fired outside off, Dhawan drives it through the covers and beats the man in the deep. |
| 9.1 : Ish Sodhi to R Sharma, Looped up ball outside off, knocked into the covers and a run is taken. |
| 9.2 : Ish Sodhi to S Dhawan, Makes use of his feet, gets to the pitch of the ball and works it to mid-wicket for a single. |
| 9.3 : Ish Sodhi to R Sharma, The batsman opens the face of the bat and helps it to third man. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 9.4 : Ish Sodhi to S Dhawan, Fuller in length, Shikhar plants his front foot forward and eases it through the cover region for one more. |
| 9.5 : Ish Sodhi to R Sharma, Stays back to this flatter ball and punches it to long on. Single to the batsman. |
| 9.6 : Ish Sodhi to S Dhawan, Gets close to the pitch and mistimes the drive to long off for one. |
| Colin Munro on to have a go. |
| 10.1 : C Munro to S Dhawan, Comes from around the wicket and fires it full on the stumps, Dhawan off the inner half mistimes it towards mid on for a brisk single. |
| 10.2 : C Munro to R Sharma, SIX! He's hit that with a lot of power, has enough to clear the fence. Length ball on off, Sharma just muscles this down the ground. It's high in the air and has the distance on it this time. Easily sails into the stands for a biggie. With this, Rohit Sharma now has the most number of sixes in T20s for India. |
| 10.3 : C Munro to R Sharma, Waits for the ball to come to him, opens the face and dabs it to third man. Single added to the scoreboard. |
| 10.4 : C Munro to S Dhawan, Short of a good length, pulled to deep mid-wicket for a single. |
| 10.5 : C Munro to R Sharma, FOUR! BANG! That's right in his arc and Sharma dispatches it. Full on the stumps, it's hammered straight back over the bowler's head for a rocketing boundary. |
| 10.6 : C Munro to R Sharma, Another short ball which is pulled through the mid-wicket region for one. |
| Mitchell Santner returns. |
| 11.1 : M Santner to R Sharma, Dropped shorter around off, pulled down to long on to bring Dhawan on strike. |
| 11.2 : M Santner to S Dhawan, Streaky way to bring it up but he's done it anyway. 3rd T20I fifty for Shikhar Dhawan! Shorter around off, skidding across, Dhawan looks to put bat on ball and gets an inside edge which whiskers past the leg stump towards short fine leg. A quick single is taken to get to the milestone. |
| 11.3 : M Santner to R Sharma, Played to the point region by the batsman. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 11.4 : M Santner to S Dhawan, Skips down the track to get close to the pitch and knocks it to long off for a single. |
| 11.5 : M Santner to R Sharma, Works it away through mid-wicket and gets off strike. |
| 11.6 : M Santner to S Dhawan, The 100 is up for India. A good start for them. It's come with a drive to long off for one run. |
| Ish Sodhi to bowl again. |
| 12.1 : Ish Sodhi to S Dhawan, SIX! Saw it pitched marginally short, so Dhawan made good use of the depth of the crease to his advantage. Rocked back in jiffy and deposited it over the mid-wicket fence with a pull. |
| 12.2 : Ish Sodhi to S Dhawan, FOUR! Floated up around off, Dhawan kneels down and drags the slog sweep over mid-wicket. Clears the infield and beats the man in the deep to pick up another boundary. With this, Dhawan has now made his highest score in T20 Internationals. |
| 12.3 : Ish Sodhi to S Dhawan, Drags the length back on this occasion, Dhawan stands tall and blocks. |
| 12.4 : Ish Sodhi to S Dhawan, Moves out of the crease to this and places it between point and cover. Fetches himself a single with that. |
| 12.5 : Ish Sodhi to R Sharma, The batsman has punched the ball off the back foot square on the off side. The batsmen have picked up a couple of runs. |
| 12.6 : Ish Sodhi to R Sharma, Tossed up leg spinner outside off, driven through to sweeper cover for a run to end the over. 14 runs from this over, India motoring along well here. |
| Tim Southee is back. |
| 13.1 : Tim Southee to R Sharma, Fuller length delivery well outside off, Rohit reaches out to it and gets a bottom edge towards backward point. Quick single taken. |
| 13.2 : Tim Southee to S Dhawan, Full ball speared outside off, it's slapped hard straight back down the ground. A run is taken as long off cuts it off. |
| 13.3 : Tim Southee to R Sharma, Right in blockhole from Southee, Sharma digs it back out through the right of the bowler. One more taken. |
| 13.4 : Tim Southee to S Dhawan, These two rotating strike well here. Dhawan backs away and steers the length ball just wide of the backward point before crossing over. |
| 13.5 : Tim Southee to R Sharma, Length ball angling in, Sharma mistimes the pull and finds long on with it. Another single. |
| 13.6 : Tim Southee to S Dhawan, SIX! That's right out of the screws! What a hit, stupendous shot! Length delivery going across Shikhar Dhawan, he swings his bat across the line and right from the meat of the bat, launches it into the mid-wicket stands for a maximum. |
| Another break in this game. The players are taking some refreshments as the groundstaff is out working on the dew again. A lot of it out there, only going to get worse as the game progresses. Also, Mitchell Santner is back into the attack. |
| 14.1 : M Santner to R Sharma, Bit slower through the air on middle and off, Sharma comes down the track and blocks it out. |
| 14.2 : M Santner to R Sharma, SIX! Slider around leg, and this is a big hit. Rohit Sharma makes room for himself and with all his might, sends it over long on for half a dozen. Pure power, that. 12th T20I fifty for Rohit Sharma! |
| 14.3 : M Santner to R Sharma, FOUR! Much more in control this time. Short and flat and Rohit latches onto this with a fearsome pull. Bangs it through mid-wicket and picks up a boundary. |
| 14.4 : M Santner to R Sharma, FOUR! Another one! This is turning out to be an expensive over for the Kiwis. Rohit leans into the full ball nicely and drives it sweetly through the covers for a boundary. |
| 14.5 : M Santner to R Sharma, Darted full on the stumps, off the inner half Sharma drags it through square leg for one. This is now the highest opening stand for India in T20Is. |
| 14.6 : M Santner to S Dhawan, Dot ball to end the over, but still a great one for India. 15 runs from it. Straighter one outside off, Dhawan looks to play the reverse sweep but misses. |
| Trent Boult to bowl now. |
| 15.1 : T Boult to R Sharma, SIX! TOP EDGED AND SIX! Think the message from the dugout is clear, either go after it or get out. Length ball on middle and leg, Sharma looks to play the scoop shot and gets a thick top edge. It's enough as it takes it all the way over the fine leg boundary for a maximum. |
| 15.2 : T Boult to R Sharma, Rohit has played the square drive. One run added to the total. |
| 15.3 : T Boult to S Dhawan, FOUR! Off cutter on middle and off, Dhawan moves inside the line and slogs it over the square leg region. Nobody out there and it's gone all the way for a boundary. |
| 15.4 : T Boult to S Dhawan, FOUR! Boult has been all over the place today, hasn't been let off the hook too. Low full toss around off, Dhawan smacks it straight back past the bowler and gets another boundary to his name. |
| 15.5 : T Boult to S Dhawan, Short of a good length around off, Dhawan pulls it through mid-wicket and both batsmen take off. There is a shy at the bowler's end but the back-up isn't good, so the batsmen eventually complete the run. |
| 15.6 : T Boult to R Sharma, Flicked with the angle through mid-wicket for a brace. 18 off the over, this Indian pair has picked it up in the death overs. |
| 16.1 : Ish Sodhi to S Dhawan, The batsman has been hit on the pads as he tried to sweep that one. |
| 16.2 : Ish Sodhi to S Dhawan, OUT! A wicket finally falls and it's Ish Sodhi who's provided the breakthrough. Lovely googly around off, Dhawan is down the track to hit it but it spins away from him and Latham behind the stumps takes the bails off with ease. Dhawan departs, but not before he's played a scintillating knock. |
| Hardik Pandya walks in at No.3. He's a hitter, everybody knows that, hence the promotion. He has the license to go berserk. |
| 16.3 : Ish Sodhi to H Pandya, Quicker one around off, Pandya gets a bottom edge as he looks to put bat on ball. |
| 16.4 : Ish Sodhi to H Pandya, OUT! The dangerous Pandya is gone! Ish Sodhi with his second of the over, a terrific delivery. Lands it on off and gets a lot of turn and bounce, Pandya hangs his bat to defend and the ball takes a feather behind. Latham takes it and appeals. The umpire raises his finger and the Indian all-rounder is sent back. |
| Skipper Virat Kohli arrives. |
| 16.5 : Ish Sodhi to V Kohli, Kohli is off the mark as he works it behind square on the leg side for a single. |
| 16.6 : Ish Sodhi to R Sharma, Short and wide outside off cut square of the wicket for a run. This could be a game-changing over for New Zealand, two runs and two wickets have come in it. |
| 17.1 : de Grandhomme to R Sharma, FOUR! Another top edge and another boundary. Tossed up on middle, Sharma gets low to sweep but gets a top edge which flies behind on the leg side. Over short fine leg's head and away to the fence. |
| 17.2 : de Grandhomme to R Sharma, Fired outside off, Sharma fails to connect with the cut and it goes off the keeper's gloves as well. A bye taken as the ball goes to short third man. |
| 17.3 : de Grandhomme to V Kohli, SIX! BOOM! Take that, Colin! Virat Kohli taking no time to settle in. Fuller ball on off, the Indian skipper stands firm and clobbers it over the long on boundary for a biggie. |
| 17.4 : de Grandhomme to V Kohli, Picks it off his pads and flicks it through backward square leg for a single. |
| 17.5 : de Grandhomme to R Sharma, The batsman works it down the leg side. One run added to the total. |
| 17.6 : de Grandhomme to V Kohli, In the air... but it's dropped! Seems Guptill has misjudged that. In his defense, it dipped on him quite late. Length ball around off, Kohli lifts it across the line over mid-wicket. Martin runs in from the deep, doesn't judge it well and it bursts through his fingers as he dives forward. Single taken. 14 off the over. |
| Trent Boult back on. |
| 18.1 : T Boult to V Kohli, Dot ball, a rare dot ball. Length ball outside off, it's punched hard but to extra cover. |
| 18.2 : T Boult to V Kohli, SIX! What. A. Hit. Shortish ball around off, Virat Kohli stands tall and brings out the pull shot. Hits it very well this time as it skies over the mid-wicket rope for a biggie. |
| 18.3 : T Boult to V Kohli, Low full toss fired across, Kohli gets bat on it and hits to the man at cover for a brisk run. |
| 18.4 : T Boult to R Sharma, Moving away from the batsman, outside off, Sharma looks to get bat on ball but fails. |
| 18.5 : T Boult to R Sharma, FOUR! Off cutter outside off, Sharma doesn't pick it up but still goes through with the big shot. Gets it off the edge and it goes over backward point for a boundary. |
| Rohit Sharma might have possibly edged one behind as New Zealand appeal hard. The umpires confer and take it upstairs. The soft signal is out. |
| 18.6 : T Boult to R Sharma, Not out! Rohit Sharma survives! Full ball speared across, Rohit looks to squeeze it square on the off side and there's a noise as the ball passes the bat. Big appeal from the keeper and the bowler as they think there's an edge. The umpire isn't sure, so he checks it upstairs. And replays show that the noise was of the bat hitting the ground. |
| 18.5 : Hold on! Now, Kane Williamson has decided to review the decision. Interesting... |
| 18.6 : T Boult to R Sharma, OUT! Rohit Sharma is dismissed! But after a lot of drama. Full ball speared across, Rohit looks to squeeze it square on the off side and there's a noise as the ball passes the bat. Big appeal from the keeper and the bowler as they think there's an edge. The umpire isn't sure, so he checks it upstairs. And replays show that the noise was of the bat hitting the ground. Seemed like Rohit would survive, but then New Zealand are adamant they have their man so they review. A |
| MS Dhoni is the next man in. |
| 19.1 : Tim Southee to V Kohli, SIX! Oh Virat Kohli, you little beauty! My word... What a hit! Short of a length on off and Kohli charges towards it like a raging bull. He goes across the line and heaves it high and handsome over the mid-wicket fence for a maximum. |
| 19.2 : Tim Southee to V Kohli, Lofts it over mid-wicket again but this time for just a single. |
| 19.3 : Tim Southee to MS Dhoni, SIX! Now MS Dhoni is into the action, wastes no time to get going. Typical of him, he stays back to this length ball and muscles it into the mid-wicket stands for a biggie. |
| 19.4 : Tim Southee to MS Dhoni, Short into the body, pulled away over square leg for a single. |
| 19.5 : Tim Southee to V Kohli, Arrowed full outside off, Kohli is out of his crease and he smacks it down to long off for two. |
| 19.6 : Tim Southee to V Kohli, That's a chance missed! Full ball outside off, Virat Kohli looks to finish the innings off with a bang. Doesn't get the desired distance on it and it's falling deep in the cover region. Two fielders there, one from deep cover and the other from wide long off, rush in towards the ball, there's total confusion and nobody ends up taking it. The batsmen take a single and with that, INDIA FINISH ON 202/3! |
| A powerful end to the innings from India. Their openers, each being given a life, set the tone for the game. Both got to their fifties and their 158-run stand laid it all for the batsmen to come. The ploy to send Hardik Pandya up the order might have failed, but then Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, especially the former, provided a late impetus to the Indian batting. 42 runs came in the last three over which saw the Men in Blue post a total past the 200-mark. |
| New Zealand have only themselves to blame. Admittedly, the dew did make an impact but some of those catches should have been taken. It cost them dearly as Dhawan and Rohit went firing away. Ish Sodhi pulled things back in the 16th over with two wickets, but it still wasn't enough as the Indian middle order putting the finishing touches in style. |
| Now, the target set in front of the Black Caps isn't an easy one by any means. But, as mentioned before, the dew will play a big part in the chase. A blazing start and they can find themselves in with a chance. India will have to be wary of that fact and try to keep things tight in the Powerplay. Join us in a short while for the second half of this game. |
| 0.0 : Back for the chase! The Kiwi openers, Martin Guptill and Colin Munro stride out. It's the man of the moment, Ashish Nehra to kickoff proceedings for India from the 'Ashish Nehra End'. A slip in place. Here we go... |
| 0.1 : A Nehra to M Guptill, Starts with a harmless delivery, on a length and in the corridor outside off, Guptill allows it through to Dhoni. |
| 0.2 : A Nehra to M Guptill, Wide! This time it's short and a little too wide outside off, Guptill once again leaves it and this time it's wided by the umpire. |
| A Nehra to M Guptill, Back of a length delivery angling away from the batsman, Guptill stays back and taps it down to point. |
| Fine leg comes in. |
| 0.3 : A Nehra to M Guptill, Just short of Pandey (sub) at point. Almost identical to the last delivery, Guptill forces it through the line and it goes on one bounce to the fielder placed square of the wicket on the off side. |
| 0.4 : A Nehra to M Guptill, FOUR! Shot! All power. Nehra keeps it short and outside off, Guptill flat-bats it down the ground, past mid off and it speeds away to the fence. |
| 0.5 : A Nehra to M Guptill, The ball is way outside the off stump, easy leave for the batsman. |
| 0.6 : A Nehra to M Guptill, Slower short ball outside off, Guptill mistimes his punch from the back foot. Finds cover-point. |
| Yuzvendra Chahal to bowl from the other end. A slip in place for Colin Munro. |
| 1.1 : Y Chahal to C Munro, Flatter full ball on leg, Munro leans forward and flicks it gently through mid-wicket for a single. Eyes the second run but Pandya quickly gets to the ball from the deep. |
| 1.2 : Y Chahal to M Guptill, Keeps it very full and on middle, Guptill is nearly yorked as he digs it out from the bottom hand of the bat. |
| 1.3 : Y Chahal to M Guptill, OUT! Stunner by Pandya! Take a bow, Superman! Chahal provides the first breakthrough but it's more due to this miraculous piece of catching. Tossed up ball on middle, Guptill tries hammering it down the ground but fails to middle it properly. It goes straight up in the air, Hardik Pandya sprints across to his right from long off and puts in an exceptional dive to catch the ball. The crowd goes bonkers. What a catch! |
| Kane Williamson is in at number 3. |
| 1.4 : Y Chahal to C Munro, Quicker delivery, probably a googly, Munro helps it to mid-wicket and crosses. |
| 1.5 : Y Chahal to K Williamson, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 1.6 : Y Chahal to K Williamson, Flighted and on off, defended to the off side from the front foot. 2 runs and a wicket from the over, excellent start by Chahal! |
| 2.1 : A Nehra to C Munro, Dropped by Dhoni? Nehra angles in a good length ball on middle and leg, Munro charges forward and across to heave it on the leg side but fails to make proper connection. It deflects off his thigh pad and Dhoni behind flies to his right. Fails to hold on and they cross. Given as a run, so maybe there was an inside edge or gloves. Replays aren't conclusive enough. |
| 2.2 : A Nehra to K Williamson, Nehra bowls it short and angles it across the batsman, Kane tries to pull but misses. |
| 2.3 : A Nehra to K Williamson, Angling away from the batsman again, this time Williamson runs it down to third man for a run. |
| 2.4 : A Nehra to C Munro, Nehra oversteps. Back of a length ball on off, Munro stays back and punches it to cover-point. Free Hit coming up... |
| A Nehra to C Munro, Top fielding, Chahal! Nehra bowls an off-pace delivery, short and wide outside off, Munro slaps it over extra cover and Chahal gives the chase from the circle. He does well to pull it back just before the rope and saves two runs for his team. |
| 2.5 : A Nehra to C Munro, Wide! Short and around leg, drifting down, Munro tries to pull but misses. A touch harsh call as it was over the batsman's shoulder. |
| A Nehra to C Munro, Pandya drops a relatively easier chance than the last one! Nehra serves a short ball wide outside off, Colin advances down the track and throws his bat at it. It flies square of the wicket on the off side, Pandya backtracks from cover but fails to hang on to the catch. A single taken. |
| 2.6 : A Nehra to C Munro, Slower short ball on off, Munro walks across the stumps with the pull shot but misses. It comes off his thigh pad and rests near the surface. |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes into the attack. |
| 3.1 : B Kumar to K Williamson, Defended off the front foot by the batsman presenting the full face of the bat. |
| 3.2 : B Kumar to K Williamson, A touch short and outside off, Williamson slaps it through the line but finds the cover-point fielder. |
| 3.3 : B Kumar to K Williamson, Uppish but safe! Kumar slants in a length ball on middle, Williamson tucks it in the air wide of mid-wicket for three runs. |
| 3.4 : B Kumar to C Munro, OUT! That's a corker! Kumar has breached Munro's defense with a toe-crusher. It's an accurate delivery, right in the blockhole, Munro tries to dig it out but is late in bringing his bat down. It sneaks right through to light the stumps. Nothing much a batsman can do about that delivery. The replays show that there was some inside edge as well before it pegged the leg stump back. |
| Tom Latham is the new batsman. |
| 3.5 : B Kumar to Tom Latham, Shows the full face of the bat and defends the ball off the back foot. |
| 3.6 : B Kumar to Tom Latham, Length ball angling away from the batsman, Latham drives it off his front foot to covers. Only 3 from the over and a wicket as well. |
| Jasprit Bumrah is into the attack now. |
| 4.1 : J Bumrah to K Williamson, Fullish and on middle, Williamson knocks it down through mid on for a run. |
| 4.2 : J Bumrah to Tom Latham, In the air...just short of the debutant, Shreyas Iyer. Back of a length delivery on off, stopping a bit onto the batsman, Latham rises on the back foot and has a push inside the line. Gets it away from the outside edge and luckily it falls short of the diving point fielder. |
| 4.3 : J Bumrah to Tom Latham, EDGY FOUR! Bumrah is bowling beautifully. Delivers an outswinger to Latham, around off and the Kiwi wicketkeeper batsman is lured into the shot. He pokes at it and edges it past Dhawan at slip for a boundary. |
| 4.4 : J Bumrah to Tom Latham, Beauty again! Bumrah is keeping the batsman on his toes. Another gem of a delivery, an outswinger landing on a length around off, Latham tries his best to put bat on ball but misses. Nearly an edge! |
| 4.5 : J Bumrah to Tom Latham, Slips a length ball down the leg side, probably expecting a magic delivery, but there isn't any movement and it skids past Latham's pad. Called a wide, a touch harsh though, as the southpaw was walking across the stumps as well. |
| J Bumrah to Tom Latham, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 4.6 : J Bumrah to Tom Latham, Good length ball on off, defended from the crease to the off side. Top over by Bumrah! |
| 5.1 : B Kumar to K Williamson, Slightly short in length and outside off, it's punched off the back foot by Williamson but straight to cover-point. |
| 5.2 : B Kumar to K Williamson, SIX! Cheeky by Williamson! You normally don't see him play those shots but it's the demand of this format. Kumar angles it into the batsman, Kane gets down and across before lifting it over short fine leg. The connection made is stupendous and it goes all the way. |
| 5.3 : B Kumar to K Williamson, Williamson opens the face of the bat and helps it to third man. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 5.4 : B Kumar to Tom Latham, A length ball around leg, Latham walks across the stumps and flicks it off his pads over backward square leg. Doesn't carry to the fielder in the deep and they take a single. |
| 5.5 : B Kumar to K Williamson, On a good length and outside off, Williamson quietly runs it down to third man and rotates the strike. New Zealand need boundaries, singles won't do it for them. |
| 5.6 : B Kumar to Tom Latham, Unplayable delivery by the 'King of Swing'...Bowls it on a length around off, nipping away off the seam, Latham tries to flick on the leg side but is beaten by the swing. Beauty to end the Powerplay overs, New Zealand are 33/2. At this stage, India were 46/0! |
| Axar Patel to roll his arm now. |
| 6.1 : A Patel to K Williamson, Played to the point region by the batsman. No run. |
| 6.2 : A Patel to K Williamson, Flatter and shorter on off, punched from the back foot to sweeper cover for a run. |
| 6.3 : A Patel to Tom Latham, Spinning down towards the pads, Latham clips it a bit uppishly towards backward square leg for one. |
| 6.4 : A Patel to K Williamson, Forces it through the line, in the gap and to deep point for one. |
| 6.5 : A Patel to Tom Latham, Quicker one down the leg side, Latham fails to sweep and it goes off his pads to short fine leg. A leg bye taken. |
| 6.6 : A Patel to K Williamson, Gently taps it down towards covers and takes a run. 5 from the over, another tidy over for India! |
| Dew break! As we saw in the first innings, the game has been stopped as the groundsmen are clearing the dew on the ground. Not sure how much those ropes help. It's not easy out there for the fielding team. India, however, have got a good start with the dry ball and would like to capitalize on it. New Zealand need partnerships but at a good rate too. |
| Bowling change. Ashish Nehra is brought back into the attack. |
| 7.1 : A Nehra to K Williamson, A length ball on middle, Williamson covers the line and pushes it down to long on for one. |
| 7.2 : A Nehra to Tom Latham, On a length and around the off stump line, Latham guides it to third man for one. |
| 7.3 : A Nehra to K Williamson, FOUR! Good attempt by Axar but all in vain. Short in length and around middle, Williamson gets on top of the bounce and pulls it powerfully behind square leg. Patel runs across to his right in the deep, puts in a dive as well but fails to keep it inside the rope. |
| 7.4 : A Nehra to K Williamson, Dropped by Kohli! Poor Nehra, this is the second chance which has gone down off his bowling. A length ball on middle and off, Williamson tries to chip it down the ground but fails to get the desired elevation. Kohli at the edge of the mid off circle times his jump nicely but fails to hold on to the catch. It rolls behind and the Indian skipper chases it down. A couple taken. |
| 7.5 : A Nehra to K Williamson, Williamson opens the face of the bat and helps it to third man. One run added to the total. |
| 7.6 : A Nehra to Tom Latham, Plays it across the line on the leg side and keeps strike with himself. |
| 8.1 : A Patel to Tom Latham, Flatter and quicker one, on the pads, Latham fails to keep it out. |
| 8.2 : A Patel to Tom Latham, Flighted and on middle, Latham plays the reverse sweep past short third man for a run. We have seen him employ those shots in the ODIs too. |
| 8.3 : A Patel to K Williamson, Shorter and around off, cut through point for one. |
| 8.4 : A Patel to Tom Latham, Another reverse sweep from the bat of Latham and another run gathered by him as it rolls towards short third man. |
| 8.5 : A Patel to K Williamson, Flighted and on off, Williamson goes on the back foot and cuts it through cover. Chahal is a bit lazy and it allows the second run. |
| 8.6 : A Patel to K Williamson, Pushed to the cover region by the batsman. They pick up a single. |
| Hardik Pandya into the attack. |
| 9.1 : H Pandya to K Williamson, OUT! Hardik Pandya is having a dream time in international circuit. Whatever he does is producing results. He has already taken a stunning catch in the field and now has hunted down the Kiwi mainstay. Harmless delivery, it's short and outside off, Williamson stands back to force it through the line but gets a thick outside edge behind. Dhoni is alert and does the rest. New Zealand's chase going nowhere at the moment. |
| 0.0 : Tom Bruce is the new batsman. |
| 9.2 : H Pandya to Tom Bruce, Shortish and outside off, Bruce plays it through the gap at covers for one. |
| 9.3 : H Pandya to Tom Latham, FOUR! That's a poor delivery and duly punished. Latham is particularly strong square of the wicket on both sides. He finds room outside off and has no qualms in sending it to the deep point fence. |
| 9.4 : H Pandya to Tom Latham, Driven towards the mid on region. They pick up a single. |
| 9.5 : H Pandya to Tom Bruce, FOUR! Slapped away! Bruce is already making space by moving towards leg and Pandya delivers it short and wide outside off. Tom chases it and whacks it over point. Nearly goes all the way. Just one bounce into the fence. |
| 9.6 : H Pandya to Tom Bruce, That ball has taken the inside edge onto the pads. They pick up a single as the ball rolls towards backward square leg. 11 from the over along with the wicket of Kane Williamson. |
| 10.1 : A Patel to Tom Bruce, Flatter and quicker outside off, Bruce mistimes his square cut to the off side. |
| 10.2 : A Patel to Tom Bruce, Fires one in, short and on middle, Bruce goes deep inside the crease and cuts it towards point for a run. |
| Dhoni special, but has that resulted in wicket? A throw from short fine leg comes and Dhoni allows it through his legs and it's a direct hit. Is Bruce out? |
| 10.3 : A Patel to Tom Latham, Nopes! Bruce is safely in. A quicker one by Patel, Latham sweeps it to short fine leg and attempts for a single. His partner responds and rushes. Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the meanwhile charges towards the ball and has a shy at the striker's end. Dhoni is standing in front of the stumps and then realizes it's going straight to the sticks. Hence, he allows it through his legs to meet the wickets. They appeal, it's referred upstairs but the replays show that Bruce is safely |
| 10.4 : A Patel to Tom Bruce, Flighted and full outside off, driven through covers for one. |
| 10.5 : A Patel to Tom Latham, Walks down the track and chips it over the mid on region. They cross for a single and Patel fails to collect the throw properly. An overthrow results. |
| 10.6 : A Patel to Tom Latham, Gets on the front foot and pushes it through covers for a single. |
| Yuzvendra Chahal is back on. |
| 11.1 : Y Chahal to Tom Latham, Short and outside off, punched off the back foot to extra cover. |
| 11.2 : Y Chahal to Tom Latham, SIX! Up and over! Chahal drags his length short and Latham goes deep inside the crease with his pull shot. Plays it with the spin and clears the mid-wicket fielder. A biggie for NZ! |
| 11.3 : Y Chahal to Tom Latham, Tickles it off his pads to the leg side for one. |
| 11.4 : Y Chahal to Tom Bruce, Flatter and on off, defended off the back foot. |
| 11.5 : Y Chahal to Tom Bruce, Bruce brings out the sweep shot to a full ball and places it behind square leg for one. |
| 11.6 : Y Chahal to Tom Latham, Shortish and on off, Latham pulls it down to long on for one. 9 from the over! |
| 12.1 : A Patel to Tom Latham, Shortish and on off, Latham advances down the track and strokes it to long off for a single. |
| 12.2 : A Patel to Tom Bruce, Patel bowls it with a round-arm action and bowls it a touch shortish on middle, Bruce moves back and chops it down towards short third man for a run. |
| 12.3 : A Patel to Tom Latham, Tossed up ball outside off, Latham walks down the track and drags it over mid-wicket for a run. |
| 12.4 : A Patel to Tom Bruce, OUT! Bruce finds Rohit with surgical precision! Axar Patel gets his first wicket in his last over. A flighted full ball on off, Bruce kneels to slog sweep it over the leg side but fails to clear the rope. It falls straight down Rohit Sharma's throat at deep mid-wicket. He makes no mistake and New Zealand continue to struggle. |
| Colin de Grandhomme is the new batsman. |
| 12.5 : A Patel to Tom Latham, The batsman plays a sweep shot. One run added to the total. |
| 12.6 : A Patel to de Grandhomme, OUT! Another one bites the dust! Patel tosses this one in the air and drops it slightly short on middle and off, de Grandhomme goes down on one knee and tries to smoke it over the leg side. But he ends up top edging it towards deep square leg. Dhawan does well to keep his eyes on the ball and catches it safely. It's not easy out there for the fielders. 4-0-20-2, exceptional bowling by Axar! |
| Henry Nicholls walks in next. He played a handy cameo in the last ODI and is surely capable with the bat. But I'm afraid that he has too big a task ahead. |
| 13.1 : Y Chahal to Tom Latham, Shortish and on off, Latham cuts it to covers. Shreyas scores a direct hit at the bowler's end and they cross for an overthrow. |
| 13.2 : Y Chahal to H Nicholls, Skidding away from the batsman, Nicholls pushes inside the line and keeps it out off the outside half of the bat. It rolls towards short third man and they cross. |
| 13.3 : Y Chahal to Tom Latham, Full and on middle, Nicholls mistimes his slog to backward square leg. |
| 13.4 : Y Chahal to H Nicholls, Skidding the other way, Nicholls tries to sweep but misses. |
| 13.5 : Y Chahal to H Nicholls, This time Nicholls connects with his sweep shot and sends it to deep square leg for one. |
| 13.6 : Y Chahal to Tom Latham, Goes down on one knee and sweeps it fine down the leg side for a couple of runs. |
| Another dew break. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah is back on. |
| 14.1 : J Bumrah to H Nicholls, Sliding down the leg side, Nicholls attempts to flick but misses and it goes off his pads to Dhoni. |
| 14.2 : J Bumrah to H Nicholls, FOUR! Misfield in the deep by debutant Shreyas Iyer. Short in length and on middle, Henry pulls it across the line in front of square leg. Shreyas Iyer charges towards the ball from deep mid-wicket but it spins away from him at the last moment. He tries to recover but it's all too late. The ball has touched the fence and Iyer signals that to the umpire. Virat Kohli is all smiles, he knows that the young man will be having nerves and will be too eager at the moment. |
| 14.3 : J Bumrah to H Nicholls, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 14.4 : J Bumrah to H Nicholls, OUT! Bull's eye from Kohli and Nicholls is a goner! Nothing going right for New Zealand tonight. Nicholls pushes this towards mid off and takes off for what seems to be an easy single. But he took on one of the panthers in the Indian cricket team - Virat Kohli who chases the ball down like a panther tracks its prey. Picks the ball up in a flash and boom. Onto the stumps at the non-striker's end like an arrow leaves the bow. The LED bails illuminate and Nicholls cont |
| Tim Southee walks in at number 8, replacing Nicholls. |
| 14.5 : J Bumrah to Tom Latham, A length ball around leg, Latham moves back and charges down, tries to play it across but it comes off his bottom edge. |
| 14.6 : J Bumrah to Tom Latham, Width on offer outside off, Tom deflects it down to third man for one. |
| 15.1 : Y Chahal to Tom Latham, FOUR! A googly outside off, full and turning away, Latham goes hard at it and edges it past short third man for a boundary. He is fighting a lone battle. |
| 15.2 : Y Chahal to Tom Latham, Quicker and flatter wide outside off, Latham tries to play the reverse sweep but misses. |
| 15.3 : Y Chahal to Tom Latham, OUT! Stumped! Final nail in the coffin. A well-disguised googly by Chahal, around off and Latham dances down the track without picking the variation. He swings and ends up missing it completely. MS Dhoni doesn't need a second invitation. India on the brink of winning their first T20I game against the Kiwis! |
| Tim Southee in next. |
| 15.4 : Y Chahal to T Southee, Smiles all around! Skidding down the leg side, Southee fails to flick and it goes off his pads to short fine leg. Nehra moves swiftly across to his right, kicks up the ball and it unintentionally goes right into his hands. He then turns and fires in a throw to Dhoni. This athletic piece of fielding by the veteran brings smiles on Kohli's face who claps like a little kid. |
| 15.5 : Y Chahal to M Santner, Driven towards the mid off region. The batsmen have run through for a single. |
| 15.6 : Y Chahal to Tim Southee, EDGY FOUR! Floated full ball outside off, Southee throws his heart and soul behind that shot and edges it over first slip for a boundary. 10 from the over, along with a wicket! |
| 16.1 : J Bumrah to M Santner, Bouncer called for height! Santner ducks underneath that bouncer. |
| J Bumrah to M Santner, The batsman has played that off the front foot and into the ground. |
| 16.2 : J Bumrah to M Santner, Shortish and on middle, pulled down to fine leg for one. |
| 16.3 : J Bumrah to Tim Southee, FOUR! Wow! Short in length outside off, Southee attacks it powerfully and sends it packing down the ground for a boundary at long on. |
| 16.4 : J Bumrah to Tim Southee, OUT! Edged and gone! Southee once again tries to attack Bumrah's delivery which is on a length outside off. He swings firmly but bottom edges it behind to Dhoni. He is not dropping those sitters. Southee is not going anywhere, MS then appeals by tossing the ball in the air and Bumrah joins him. Now the finger goes up... |
| Ish Sodhi walks in next. |
| 16.5 : J Bumrah to Ish Sodhi, The batsman has defended it by getting right behind the line of the delivery. |
| 16.6 : J Bumrah to Ish Sodhi, FOUR! Good delivery but it has gone for a boundary. Bumrah angles in a full length ball on off, shaping back in a shade, Sodhi tries to defend but it catches the outside edge and runs fine to third man for a boundary. Another 10-run over! |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back on. |
| 17.1 : B Kumar to M Santner, Slower delivery, outside off, Santner swings and misses. |
| 17.2 : B Kumar to M Santner, FOUR! Short in length and around leg, Santner turns inside the crease and pulls it nicely behind square leg for a boundary. |
| 17.3 : B Kumar to M Santner, SIX! Clears the rope this time. It's full and around leg, Santner whips it across the line and sends it towering over square leg for a biggie. Santner having some fun at Kumar's expense. |
| 17.4 : B Kumar to M Santner, The batsman tries hooking that one but misses it completely. |
| 17.5 : B Kumar to M Santner, Hits the blockhole, Santner digs it out back to the bowler. |
| 17.6 : B Kumar to M Santner, Played through mid-wicket by the batsman. They run through for a single. |
| Jasprit Bumrah to continue. No signs of Nehra... |
| 18.1 : J Bumrah to M Santner, Santner has played it towards mid-wicket. The batsmen have picked up a couple of runs. Excellent running between the wickets but had Bumrah collected the throw from the deep it could have been interesting. |
| 18.2 : J Bumrah to M Santner, Short ball on middle, pulled down to fine leg and this time it's only a single. |
| 18.3 : J Bumrah to Ish Sodhi, Short in length and outside off, Ish goes hard at it but fails to make any connection. |
| 18.4 : J Bumrah to Ish Sodhi, Fuller length ball on middle, Sodhi lofts it over the bowler's head for a couple. A poor throw from the deep towards Dhoni and it goes over his head. An overthrow taken. |
| 18.5 : J Bumrah to M Santner, FOUR! Shot! Full in length and on middle, Santner clears his front leg and rockets his heave over mid-wicket. It falls just before the rope as it screams past it. |
| 18.6 : J Bumrah to M Santner, SIX! Into the stand this time. A full toss by Bumrah and it has been sent packing over long on for a biggie. 16 from the over. |
| Huge roar! It's ASHISH NEHRA to bowl the final over of the innings and his career. Can he sign off with a wicket or two? |
| 19.1 : A Nehra to Ish Sodhi, Full and wide outside off, Sodhi throws his bat at it but misses. |
| 19.2 : A Nehra to Ish Sodhi, Short in length and outside off, Sodhi tries to pull but misses again. |
| 19.3 : A Nehra to Ish Sodhi, FOUR! Nicely played by Sodhi. He just gets forward to a full ball and lifts it over mid off for a boundary. |
| 19.4 : A Nehra to Ish Sodhi, Wide! Nehra tries delivering the slower one but it's wide outside off, Sodhi once again misses and this time it's called a wide. |
| A Nehra to Ish Sodhi, Slower short ball on middle, Sodhi is very early into the pull shot and misses. It hits him on the body and they steal a leg bye. |
| 19.5 : A Nehra to M Santner, Shortish and on off, Santner pulls it over mid on, not much timing and they take a single. |
| Last ball of Nehra's career, the crowd is behind him... |
| 19.6 : A Nehra to Ish Sodhi, ALL OVER! Nehra steams in one final time and bowls a low dipping full toss outside off, Sodhi swings and misses. Big smile on Nehra's face! He is being congratulated by the Kiwi batsmen out there and also his teammates. INDIA WIN BY 53 runs! |
| Great scenes out there! It's all about Ashish Nehra at the moment. His teammates are shaking hands and hugging him. A great bowler has called it quits. He will be happy to leave on a winning note, a win over the Kiwis, India's first in this format. Nehra is now taking a lap of honour with the Indian players clapping behind. It's an emotional moment for the local man. The Delhi boys, Dhawan and Kohli now lift Nehra on their shoulders as the veteran waves at the crowd. Thank you, Nehra ji! |
| Coming back to this match, New Zealand got outplayed completely. Their bowling and fielding weren't up to the mark which resulted in India posting a massive total on the board. In reply, the visitors lost both their openers cheaply and then there wasn't much fight shown. Once again it was only Tom Latham who looked capable of countering the Indian bowlers as the rest struggled. The Indian spinners, Chahal and Axar, were exceptional under tough conditions and together they hunted down 4 wickets f |
| Ashish Nehra says that he will miss all this and one thing which will be relaxed now is his body. Feels that it cannot get bigger than this. Nehra assumes he must have bowled the most number of last overs and is glad that today it was an easy one, with plenty needed. Goes on to say that cricket has changed a lot from the time he made his debut. Adds that the rules have changed, scoring rate has gone up and believes that Indian cricket is in good hands. Says that he doesn't want to compare teams |
| Kane Williamson says it was a disappointing performance in all areas, especially the fielding and doesn't want to use the dew factor as an excuse. Reckons when you're chasing a total which is above par then you have to take your chances and it sometimes doesn't come off. Feels his spinners bowled well, but because of India's aggressive approach he couldn't use them as he exactly wanted to. Ends by congratulating Ashish Nehra on a fantastic career and wishes him well for the next stage of his lif |
| Virat Kohli says it was a clinical performance from the whole team. Adds the wicket was a little damp, but his openers set the tone for the rest of the batsmen to capitalize on. Mentions his bowlers did well and the catch from Hardik Pandya was one of the best he's ever seen. Also lauds the intensity shown by his team. On Shikhar Dhawan, he states that he wanted to do well in the shortest format as he's done in the ODIs, and credits his adaptability as well. Says that he unleashed all the shots |
| Man of the Match, Shikhar Dhawan says he was happy with the way he batted as it was needed. Feels he hasn't performed too well in this format despite having the capability so is happy to do well. Adds that no matter what others feel, he has always been able to play all kinds of shots. Finishes his interview saying he loves all the formats and they are all equally important to him, so he works hard to perform well in all of them. |
| That's it from us for this game. An emotional and a bittersweet day for Indian fans comes to an end. Their side won, but one of their stars bows out from the game. India lead the series 1-0, and this victory has helped Pakistan climb up to the no.1 spot in the T20I rankings. New Zealand will want to put this night behind them quickly and focus their attention to Rajkot, where the second T20I will take place on the 4th of November at 1900 local (1330 GMT). Till then, goodbye and cheers! |
Google +
Facebook
Twitter
Whatsapp