IND vs NZ 1st T20I: Washington Sundar's fifty in vain as New Zealand beat India by 21 runs

The Indian batters had a difficult outing at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, where the pitch proved to be a challenge for them.

DNA Web Team

Updated : Jan 27, 2023, 11:01 PM IST

IND vs NZ 1st T20I: Washington Sundar's fifty in vain as New Zealand beat India by 21 runs

Daryl Mitchell and the New Zealand spinners stole the spotlight in Ranchi, claiming a 21-run victory to take a commanding 1-0 lead in the T20I series against India on Friday.

The Indian batters had a difficult outing at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, where the pitch proved to be a challenge for them, providing an advantage to the spin bowlers from both sides.

India won the toss and elected to field first, taking into account the dew factor. Finn Allen gave the visitors a strong start, with the opener scoring 12 runs off Pandyas' over.

Allen and Devon Conway forged a formidable 43-run partnership before Washington Sundar began to spin the ball and cause difficulties for the New Zealand batters. He dismissed Allen for 35 runs in the same over and then capped off the over with a sensational catch to send Michael Chapman packing for a duck.

Glenn Phillips arrived and stabilized the ship alongside Conway as the pair put on a 60-run partnership. Phillips played an atypical innings as Conway continued his impressive performance in India with a half-century. Phillips scored 17 off 22 before he was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav with the score at 103 for three in 12.5 overs. Mitchell then came to the crease and provided Conway with some much-needed support before the New Zealand opener was caught out by a slower ball from Arshdeep.

The all-rounder continued on his triumphant journey as wickets tumbled on the other side. Mitchell then unleashed a flurry of runs against Arshdeep in the final over of the innings, amassing 27 runs and reaching his half-century, finishing unbeaten on 59 from 30 balls as New Zealand reached 176 runs.

Daryl Mitchell smashed 27 runs off Arshdeep Singh's final over with three sixes and a four.#INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/avvHTquCdo
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) January 27, 2023

India's pursuit of victory got off to a disastrous start as the New Zealand spinners proved to be virtually unplayable on the Ranchi pitch, which provided them with ample assistance. Ishan Kishan was the first to be dismissed, bowled out by a magnificent delivery from Michael Bracewell. Rahul Tripathi followed soon after, unable to make any meaningful contribution to the score, leaving India at 11 for two.

Santner then snagged the crucial wicket of Shubman Gill, leaving India 15 for three in just 3.1 overs. Suryakumar Yadav and Pandya then joined forces to keep the game alive, forging a 68-run partnership. The 32-year-old Yadav scored a well-crafted 47 off 34 balls, providing a much-needed spark of hope for India.

Sundar then provided a much-needed boost to the score with a late blitz that saw him score 50 off 27 balls. However, it wasn't enough as the Indian innings ended at 155 for nine in 20 overs, giving New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the series.

A winning start to the T20 Series! Scorecard | https://t.co/QaKoIoMlxt #INDvNZ = BCCI pic.twitter.com/hJ4GYukvEn
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) January 27, 2023