Xtra Time Web Desk: A maiden half-century (50 off 27) from Washington Sundar went in vain as India suffered a 21-run loss against NZ in the first T20I at JSCA stadium on Friday night. Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell slammed fifties as New Zealand put on a competitive 176 runs on board batting first. In reply the hosts could only manage 155/9.
Put into bat first, BlackCaps opener Finn Allen gave his team a strong start with the opener scoring 12 runs off Pandya’s over. Together with Devon Conway, Allen put up a partnership of 43 runs before Washington Sundar got rid off Allen for 35 runs and, in the same over, dismissed Michael Chapman for a duck with a sensational catch.
Glenn Phillips and Conway steadied the innings as they put on 60 runs together. Phillips played a rather uncharacteristic innings as Conway continued his good form in India with a fifty. Phillips was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav for 17 runs with the score at 103 for three in 12.5 overs. Daryl Mitchell came to the crease at that time and provided Conway some good company before the New Zealand opener skied a slower ball from Arshdeep.
Mitchell smashed 27 runs from the final over bowled by Arshdeep Singh to take the score to 176 runs. He scoored 59* from 30 balls.
India had a disastrous start as the New Zealand spinners looked almost unplayable on a helpful Ranchi pitch. Local boy Ishan Kishan was the first to go as he was bowled by an absolute beauty by Michael Bracewell. Rahul Tripathi was the next to depart without troubling the scoring as India were 11 for two. Santner then got the big wicket of Shubman Gill as India were 15 for three in just 3.1 overs.
Suryakumar Yadav and Pandya then came together and kept the game alive with their 68-run partnership, with the 32-year-old scoring a well-made 47 off 34 balls. Ish Sodhi dismissed the dangerous looking Yadav and Pandya also returned to the pavilion as India were 89 for five and looked well out of the contest. The hosts could only manage 155/9