Ind vs NZ: Both the batsmen and bowlers failed to perform in the game.
Pic Credit–India.Com
After being requested to chase 220 from the first T20I, India were bowled out for 139.
Out to chase 220, India received an early blow with skipper Rohit Sharma getting dismissed for 1.
Rishabh Pant also failed to impress with the bat. Vijay Shankar played with a fantastic cameo but lost his focus and gave away his wicket. Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya too neglected to get runs beneath the belt.
MS Dhoni and Krunal Pandya additional 52 runs together before both were dismissed.
India played with three-wicketkeepers and three all-rounders in the playing XI for its match in Wellington. However, the move backfired as the group failed badly at the first T20I. Rishabh Pant was not able to contribute much with the bat while Dinesh Karthik dropped two buttery catches.
Hardik Pandya had a game to forget as he gave away 51 runs in 4 overs while scoring only 4 with the bat. Vijay Shankar had a good outing at the Westpac Stadium after scoring 27 runs.
The platform for New Zealand’s success from the T20I opener was put up by Tim Seifert, who having scored only 42 runs in seven international 20-over games before afterward, delivered the Indian bowlers on a leather hunt with his 43-ball 84, which included six sixes and seven fours.
Overall, there were 14 maximums (sixes) scored by New Zealand, together with useful contributions from most of the batsmen as India fought in the absence of Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav.
Their choice to move in with eight batting order options meant they needed to undermine the bowling attack. But the extended batting order did little to help their cause as they were bowled out for less than 140.
With only a day’s break between the first two matches, India have an extremely brief time to get ready for a turnaround and keep the series alive.
“We were outplayed in all three departments,” is the way skipper Rohit Sharma clarified India’s loss, while his counterpart Kane Williamson said called New Zealand’s series”a complete performance that doesn’t happen every day”.
Will it be an Indian comeback in Auckland or New Zealand riding the tide of momentum?
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