IND vs NZ, 1st T20I: 5 Key Talking Points from India’s 48-Run Win over New Zealand in Nagpur

Team India took a 1-0 lead in the T20I series, defeating New Zealand by 48 runs in Nagpur. Posting 239/7, India’s bowlers then restricted the visitors to 190/7, securing a dominant and comprehensive victory in the series opener.

Image Credit : X/@BCCI

India Take 1-0 T20I Series Lead over New Zealand

Team India displayed all-around performance in a 48-run win over New Zealand in the first T20I of the five-match series at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) in Nagpur on Wednesday, January 21.

After posting a mammoth total of 239/7, Team India managed to restrict New Zealand to 190/7 despite a 78-run knock by Glenn Phillips and a 79-run partnership with Mark Chapman (39). Shivam Dube led the bowling attack with figures of 2/28 at an economy rate of 9.3 in three overs, while Varun Chakravarthy picked two wickets while conceding 37 runs at an economy rate of 9.3 in 4 overs.

On that note, let’s take a look at key takeaways from India’s win over New Zealand in the T20I series opener.

Image Credit : X/@BCCI

1. Abhishek Sharma’s Explosive Batting

Team India opener Abhishek Sharma was absolute in beast mode as he unleashed his carnage on the New Zealand bowlers and provided explosive starts at the top. The southpaw brought up his half-century in just 22 balls, achieving the record for most fifties in 25 or fewer balls, while helping the Men in Blue near the 150-run mark in 12 overs. The 25-year-old’s explosive batting was posing a serious threat to the New Zealand bowling attack.

Abhishek Sharma played a scintillating knock of 84 off 35 balls, including 5 fours and 8 sixes, at an impressive strike rate of 240. During his knock, Abhishek completed 5000 runs in his T20 career, making him the fastest player to achieve this milestone by number of balls, reaching the 5,000-run mark in just 2,898 balls.

Image Credit : AFP

2. Mini Middle-Order Collapse

After an early top-order collapse with dismissals of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, reducing India to 27/2, Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav (32) revived the Men in Blue’s batting with a crucial 99-run partnership to take Team India to 126/3 before the T20I skipper’s dismissal. Abhishek and Suryakumar took the hosts to a solid position by the end of the 11th over before things turned shaky in the middle overs.

The southpaw continued to anchor India’s innings until his dismissal at 149/4. Thereafter, India were reduced to 166/5 with Shivam Dube's (9) wicket before Hardik Pandya’s stay at the crease ended after he was dismissed for 25 at 186/6. In 5 overs, Team India lost three wickets for 60 runs in a mini-collapse that threatened to derail India’s momentum.

Image Credit : X/@BCCI

3. Rinku Singh’s Death-Overs Brilliance

Abhishek Sharma might have provided an explosive start to India’s innings, but it was Rinku Singh who stole the show in the death overs. Walking in to bat at 166/5, the southpaw played a quickfire cameo knock of 44 off 20 balls, which took Team India to a commanding total of 238/7 in 20 overs. He accelerated the innings in the three overs by smashing two sixes and a four in five balls before smashing Daryl Mitchell for 21 runs, including two sixes and as many boundaries.

Rinku Singh’s explosive death-overs innings consisted of 4 fours and 3 sixes, and he batted at a strike rate of 220, steering India past the 200-run mark and leaving New Zealand with a daunting target to chase.

Image Credit : AFP

4. Effective Indian Bowling Attack

Though Indian bowlers did not manage to bundle out New Zealand despite posting a massive total, they executed their plans brilliantly to put the visitors’ batters under constant pressure. Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and Hardik Pandya triggered a collapse in the Kiwis’ batting line-up by taking a wicket each to reduce them to 52/3. Then, Axar Patel chipped in to break the 79-run stand between Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman by dismissing the former at 131/4.

Varun Chakravarthy picked up a wicke wicket of Mark Chapman (39) at 143/5 before Shivam Dube picked up two wickets of Mitchell (28) and Kristian Clarke (0) in the final over, helping India maintain control and restrict New Zealand well short of the total. A collective bowling effort, with timely breakthroughs and disciplined lines, ensured that the visitors never looked comfortable in the run chase.

Image Credit : AFP

5. Fielding Lapses Under Spotlight

Team India might have been able to restrict New Zealand well below 200 and secure a victory, but the fielding errors, missed catches, and misfields at crucial moments kept the Kiwis in the hunt longer than expected in the run chase. Approximately three catches were dropped, and a missed run-out of Glenn Phillips by Sanju Samson.

Ishan Kishan and Rinku dropped an easy catch of Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman, while a missed chance by Samson to run out Phillips at the striker’s end allowed the Kiwis to add crucial runs. Although India won comfortably, these lapses highlighted areas that need tightening ahead of the upcoming T20Is.