Match

India won by 4 wkts

• New Zealand: 225/4 (20 overs)
• India: 230/6 (19.4 overs)

New Zealand - 225/4 (20 overs)

Extras: 8

India - 230/6 (19.4 overs)

Extras: 17

Commentary

• Looks like India have brought their high-scoring form from the West Indies series along with them to New Zealand! The first game of the tour has already produced 450+ runs. What does the rest of the series have in store? And mind you, Hagley Oval is one of the bigger grounds in New Zealand, with the second game also set to be played here. Best of luck to the bowlers! Join us for the second game on Saturday (October 24). Until next time, goodbye and stay safe..
• Iyer (2/2): [On whether he gives Abhishek and Samson any instructions at the top of the order] They're experienced enough now. Yeah, they're absolutely experienced enough. You don't have to tell them how to go about their business. They know exactly what they're doing, and once they get going, it's just about the momentum they carry forward, and today was just an example of that. So obviously it doesn't happen every time, but once they click, you see that they set a game for us, and the rest of us, we just come and steady the ship and see to it that we finish off the game. [On Naman Dhir's performance and the importance of having a specialist batter who can also bowl at number seven] Yes, absolutely. He gives us a lot of options, especially for lefty batsmen, or even the right-handers batting, especially on this ground, coming in and bowling those two-three crucial overs actually can change the momentum. And I personally feel that the calm and composed nature that he showed today, it was simply magnificent to see him bat.
• Shreyas Iyer (1/2): [On India's win and whether the team has now overcome the jet lag] Fantastic. Probably we've got to forget about the jet lag now. [On the pitch conditions, India's bowling performance, and how the surface changed during New Zealand's innings] So when we started bowling, I thought it was playing a bit slow. The ball was holding a bit, and we bowled a little ahead compared to the hard lengths we should have been hitting. But as soon as the game progressed, we saw the dew coming in, and the wicket was skidding flatter as the ball was getting through and coming onto the bat pretty well, and that's how they got the momentum and they reached to 220. Kudos to them for the efforts, but obviously we needed that kind of start, especially when you're chasing 220, getting to 80-85 in six overs, that's a tremendous start.
• Mitchell Santner: [How's the neck/head?] A bit of a whiplash there, but yeah, it's okay. [On the batting performance] I think the way the guys went out about it at the top was good. Obviously there was probably a little bit in it at the start and they adapted and adjusted, and then obviously the way GP kind of consolidated in the middle there, he was outstanding. And Bev, some clean striking as well. So we were reasonably happy with the score at halfway. [On the bowling] They put us under pressure. We knew they were going to do that, and yeah, another big powerplay from them. We weren't probably at our best. We can sharpen up a few things, but I think we know what the ball does, so you can slow them down. I think in the middle we did well to kind of squeeze them and then again it was a tight game. So I think both teams could probably look at a few things here and there, I think could have gone either way. [On the improvements for the next game] I think the extras at the start maybe and obviously I think in the field we were pretty good. It's not an easy ground to catch here. A couple more chances, closing overs at times, but, I think the powerplay is always going to be a challenge. I guess we have to find a way of trying to slow them down, but that might be an 80-run powerplay, not a 100.
• Samson (2/2): [On the pitch and the movement of the ball] The ball was swinging around a lot, I think in the second half, a bit too much actually. But off the surface it was coming on very nicely. So I think me and Abhi just felt like keeping the shape and having a very positive intent in the powerplay. Once we got off to a flying start, we felt the match could be finished in the first half as well. Six overs, 90-odd runs - that was a great start today. So I think we just wanted to go all out. [On whether keeping wickets helps him assess the pitch and prepare for batting] Absolutely, you definitely think about your batting while you are keeping wickets. But I think today I summed up my way to play the game while keeping, but when I came to bat, it was completely different. In the first half, the ball was stopping a bit from the length area, but in the second half I think the ball was coming on very nicely with heavy dew in the outfield. So I really enjoyed the batting.
• Sanju Samson | Player of the Match (1/2) - [On his performance and India's opening win in the series] It feels really good. I think, yes, we are just in the moment where the match has been won. Whatever contribution you make, I think it feels good to end up on the winning side. So it's a really great contribution from all of us in the team. So it was completely a team game today. So really happy that we started off nicely for the series. [On his opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma and their approach at the top of the order] We do have a lot of conversations happening in the middle, but nothing makes sense actually. We just watch the ball and hit hard. It has been working very well for us and I like batting with him at the top.
• 00:11 Local Time, 11:11 GMT, 16:41 IST: What a chase! One of India's better run chases. A target of 225 looked daunting at the halfway mark, but the openers, especially Samson, came out all guns blazing, racing to 94/1 in the powerplay and making it seem like India would canter home comfortably. However, New Zealand's spinners, Bracewell and Santner, turned the game around by picking up four wickets in the middle overs, including those of Samson, the promoted Tilak at No. 3, and Ishan Kishan. Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel steadied the innings with a handy partnership, but Axar's dismissal tilted the pendulum once again, leaving India needing 49 off the last four overs. Enter Naman Dhir, who produced a sensational 15-ball 42 to take India over the line. The dew made conditions challenging, but New Zealand didn't help their cause, with indisciplined bowling (16 wides and 1 no-ball) and some uncharacteristically sloppy fielding. Hang around for the presentations..
• 19.4: Matt Henry to Naman Dhir, SIX, India win by 4 wickets. Dhir finishes in a streaky manner. But it does not matter, India go 1-0 up in the series and the crowd were thoroughly entertained to a cracking game of cricket. Well-directed short ball, Dhir takes it on and the top-edge flies straight back over Seifert, plenty of bat on that as the ball travels all the way
• 19.3: Matt Henry to Nitish Reddy, 1 run, poor cricket from everyone. First Henry bowls a juicy full toss and seemed like Reddy had made up his mind to just knock it for a single, so he eases it back and Henry fumbles in his followthrough. The batters decide to nab a quick single and Reddy puts in a dive to make his ground. That ball needed to be put away..
• Now a chat between Henry, Santner and Mitchell. Short fine has been pushed back. What will Reddy do?
• 19.2: Matt Henry to Naman Dhir, 1 run, back of a length delivery, Dhir jabs it square on the leg-side and wants a second, but rightly decides against it. 3 off 4
• 19.1: Matt Henry to Naman Dhir, FOUR, does that seal the game? Henry goes for the yorker but it is tough with a wet ball, full toss around off and that is easy pickings for Dhir. He does not time the loft as the bottom hand comes off the handle, but he gets enough to clear mid-off and the ball runs away
• New Zealand just like India have been penalised for slow overrate. They have to bring an extra fielder inside the ring. Henry is going to bowl the final over. Short third, backward point, extra cover, mid-off and short fine are the fielders in the 30 yard circle. Here we go..
• Matt Henry [3.0-0-45-0] is back into the attack
• 18.6: Adam Milne to Naman Dhir, 1 run, 135ks full and close to yorker length, Dhir drills it to long-off and retains strike. He's disappointed that it was not placed better
• 18.5: Adam Milne to Naman Dhir, 2 runs, yorker outside off, Dhir bends down and squeezes it behind square. The fielder at backward point dives to his right and takes the pace off, allowing Phillips to tidy up in the deep and keep it to a couple. 9 off 7
• 18.4: Adam Milne to Naman Dhir, FOUR, shot! Dhir looks so calm under pressure. Yes, this was a full toss but Dhir did not get overexcited, just waits for the ball to arrive and drives it in front of square, bisecting extra cover and mid-off perfectly. 11 off 8
• 18.3: Adam Milne to Nitish Reddy, 1 run, full toss at the stumps, Reddy swings without any timing and calls for two, but the deep mid-wicket fielder keeps it to a single
• 18.2: Adam Milne to Nitish Reddy, no run, wow! That's a brilliant yorker. Aimed for the base of the stumps and all Reddy can do is jam it back to Milne. That was heading towards the stumps and Reddy did well to get his bat down in time
• Nitish Kumar Reddy, right handed bat, comes to the crease