Having set a stiff target of 204 India managed to get past the Kiwis with ease in the end. Batting first New Zealand put a massive 203/5 in their allotted 20 overs. Colin Munro and captain Kane Williamson set the tone up the order for kiwis.
Munro scored 59 while Williamson provided momentum with his quickfire 51 in the middle overs. Ross Taylor followed it up with 54* of 27 balls ensuring run flow in the last overs to take the total past 200.
Unlike New Zealand which saw a solid 80 run stand for 1st wicket, India lost Rohit Sharma early. KL Rahul and Captain Virat Kholi then stitched 99 runs for the 2nd wicket. Rahul showed his class with elegant 56 of 27 balls.
Kholi gave him full support and scored 45 of 32 balls. In the middle overs when New Zealand picked wickets of Rahul and Kholi in quick succession, India looked in trouble. However, Shreyas Iyer came to the party.
Iyer scored 58* off 29 balls and hit a six off Tim Southee to seal the game for India with an over and 6 wickets to spare. He was later adjudged man of the match. The match also saw new records being set.
It was the first instance when 5 players (C Munro 59, K Williamson 51, R Taylor 54*, KL Rahul 56, S Iyer 58*) scored a fifty in T20I. The chase by India made it the only team to win in a 200 plus chase in T20I 4 times.
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India now goes 1-0 up in the series. The second of the 5-match T20I series would be played on Sunday at the same venue.
