New Delhi: Openers Shikhar Dhawan (80, 52b, 10x4, 2x6) and Rohit Sharma (80, 55b, 6x4, 4x6) made most of dropped chances to put up India’s highest T20 opening stand of 158 as the hosts beat New Zealand by 53 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three match series here at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground on Wednesday.
After piling an imposing 202/3, India restricted the visitors to 149 for 8.
Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson opted to bowl, mindful of the dew. Had he known his boys would turn up with butter fingers — dropping Shikhar Dhawan once, Rohit Sharma twice (one of a no-ball) and Virat Kohli (26,11b, 3x6) once — he might have thought otherwise.
Dhawan began with a couple of boundaries off Trent Boult in the second over, riding his luck when an uppish cut was floored by Santner at point, who got both his hands to the ball but was a trifle late in anticipating its velocity. Sharma launched into his innings with an upper cut six off Tim Southee.
Dhawan was quicker off the blocks, though, helping himself to five boundaries in the Powerplay, India to 46/0. Sharma’s attempted lift off Colin de Grandhomme, only went as far as Southee at long-off.
Scorecard
India: R. Sharma c Latham b Boult 80, S. Dhawan c Latham b Sodhi 80, H. Pandya c Latham b Sodhi 0, V. Kohli (not out) 26, MS Dhoni (not out) 7. Extras (b 5, lb 1, nb 2, w 1) 9. Total (for three in 20 overs) 202.
FoW: 1-158, 2-158, 3-185.
Bowling: Santner 4-0-30-0, Boult 4-0-49-1, Southee 4-0-44-0, Grandhomme 3-0-34-0, Sodhi 4-0-25-2, Munro 1-0-14-0.
New Zealand: M. Guptill c Pandya b Chahal 4, C. Munro b Kumar 7, K. Williamson c Dhoni b Pandya 28, T. Latham st Dhoni b Chahal 39, T. Bruce c Sharma b Patel 10, C de Grandhomme c Dhawan b Patel 0, H. Nicholls run out (Kohli) 6, M. Santner 26 (not out), T. Southee c Dhoni b Bumrah 8, I. Sodhi 11 (not out). Extras 9 (lb-3, nb-1, w-5). Total: (for eight wickets in 20 overs) 149.
FoW: 1-6, 2-18, 3-54, 4-83, 5-84, 6-94, 7-99, 8-111.
Bowling: A. Nehra 4-0-29-0, Y. Chahal 4-0-26-2, B. Kumar 3-0-23-1, J. Bumrah 4-0-37-1, A. Patel 4-0-20-2, H. Pandya 1-0-1-1.
