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RESULTT20I1st T20I · Hagley Oval, Christchurch
New Zealand vs India
India won by 4 wkts
India won the toss and chose to bowl
- Match
- New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I
- Date
- 22 Oct 2026 to 22 Oct 2026
- Start
- 12:30 IST · 07:00 GMT
- Venue
- Hagley Oval, Christchurch
- Toss
- India won the toss and chose to bowl
Venue guide
- Capacity
- 20,000
- Opened
- 1886
- Home to
- Canterbury
Recent meetings
| Sanju SamsonIndia · Wicketkeeper | 67 (33)Bat · R (B) | 84s | 46s | 203.0SR | b Mitchell SantnerOut |
NZNew Zealand 225/4 (20.0)
INDIndia 230/6 (19.4)
RUNS PER OVER
SCORE BY OVER
Final overs
Full 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..
- Shreyas Iyer: [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. [On whether he gives Abhishek and Samson any instructions at the top of the order] 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.
- 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.
- Stats by Roshan Gede Highest successful chases for India in T20Is 226 vs NZ, Christchurch, 2026 209 vs AUS, Visakhapatnam, 2023 209 vs NZ, Raipur, 2026 208 vs WI, Hyderabad, 2019 207 vs SL, Mohali, 2009 204 vs NZ, Auckland, 2020 This is also the second-highest successful chase against New Zealand in T20Is, after 244 by Australia at Auckland in 2018. Naman Dhir in Overs 16-20 in T20s Runs: 341 Balls: 167 Dismissals: 10 SR: 204.19 4s/6s: 34/19 *where data available India’s chase Overs 1-6: 94/1 at 15.66 RPO Overs 7-10: 25/2 at 6.25 RPO Overs 11-19.4: 111/3 at 11.48 RPO Pace vs Spin for NZ Pace: 2/154 in 11.4 overs, ER: 13.2 Spin: 4/76 in 8 overs, ER: 9.5 Three batters - Daryl Mitchell, Bevon Jacobs and Abhishek Sharma - hit the first ball they faced for a six today, the joint-most in a Men’s T20I alongside four other instances. Only one of those previous four featured full-member teams: NZ vs ENG at Hamilton in 2018 (Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan and Colin Munro). New Zealand have now lost seven out of their last eight home T20Is against India. The lone exception ended in a tie (DLS method) at Napier in 2022. Naman Dhir’s 42*(15) is the highest individual score for India from No.7 or lower in a successful T20I chase, surpassing Irfan Pathan’s 33*(16) against Sri Lanka at Colombo (RPS) in 2009. Successful 200-plus chases in Men’s T20 cricket 2004-2009: 10 2010-2015: 25 2016-2021: 57 2022-2026: 168 Overall: 260
- Sanju Samson | Player of the Match - [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. [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.
- 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..
- Over 20 · 12 runs (4 1 1 6)
- 19.46Matt 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
- 19.31Matt 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?
- 19.21Matt 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
- 19.14Matt 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
- End of over 19 · 8 runs (W 0 1 4 2 1) · 1 wktIND 218/6Naman Dhir 31(12) · Nitish Kumar Reddy 1(2) · Adam Milne 3-0-43-1
- 18.61Adam 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
- 18.52Adam 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
- 18.44Adam 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
- 18.31Adam 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
- 18.1WAdam Milne to Shreyas Iyer, out Caught by Mitchell Santner!! There's the wicket. No mistake by Santner this time. This is a massive wicket as it is the skipper who is walking back. He should have seen this chase through. Good length ball outside off, there was width on offer and Iyer does not keep the slap down, hits it towards extra cover and Santner comes in, bends down and takes it low to the ground. Shreyas Iyer c Mitchell Santner b Adam Milne 42(28) [4s-1 6s-2]
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Seifertc Sanju Samson b Mayank Yadav | 24 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 141.2 |
| Finn Allenc Tilak Varma b Axar Patel | 45 | 24 | 5 | 2 | 187.5 |
| Daryl Mitchellc Bhuvneshwar Kumar b Arshdeep Singh | 28 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 147.4 |
| Glenn Phillips*not out | 82 | 40 | 8 | 3 | 205.0 |
| Bevon Jacobsrun out (Arshdeep Singh) | 31 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 193.8 |
| Michael Bracewell*not out | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 116.7 |
Extras8 (b 0, lb 0, w 6, nb 2)
Total225/4 (20.0 ov, RR 11.25)
Did not bat: Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson
Fall of wickets: 49-1 (Tim Seifert, 5.0 ov), 80-2 (Finn Allen, 7.4 ov), 122-3 (Daryl Mitchell, 12.1 ov), 195-4 (Bevon Jacobs, 17.3 ov)
| Bowler · IND | O | M | R | W | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 4 | 0 | 49 | 0 | 12.25 |
| Arshdeep Singh | 4 | 0 | 45 | 1 | 11.25 |
| Mayank Yadav | 4 | 0 | 40 | 1 | 10.00 |
| Axar Patel | 4 | 0 | 51 | 1 | 12.75 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | 4 | 0 | 40 | 0 | 10.00 |
New Zealand- 1Finn AllenBatter
- 2Tim Seifert(wk)Wicketkeeper
- 3Daryl MitchellAll-rounder
- 4Glenn PhillipsAll-rounder
- 5Bevon JacobsBatter
- 6Michael BracewellAll-rounder
- 7Mitchell Santner(c)All-rounder
- 8Nathan SmithAll-rounder
- 9Adam MilneBowler
- 10Matt HenryBowler
- 11Lockie FergusonBowler
Bench
India- 1Sanju Samson(wk)Wicketkeeper
- 2Abhishek SharmaAll-rounder
- 3Ishan KishanWicketkeeper
- 4Shreyas Iyer(c)Batter
- 5Tilak VarmaBatter
- 6Nitish Kumar ReddyAll-rounder
- 7Naman DhirBatter
- 8Axar PatelAll-rounder
- 9Bhuvneshwar KumarBowler
- 10Arshdeep SinghBowler
- 11Mayank YadavBowler
Bench
- 19.46Matt 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
- 19.14Matt 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
- 18.44Adam 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
- 18.1WAdam Milne to Shreyas Iyer, out Caught by Mitchell Santner!! There's the wicket. No mistake by Santner this time. This is a massive wicket as it is the skipper who is walking back. He should have seen this chase through. Good length ball outside off, there was width on offer and Iyer does not keep the slap down, hits it towards extra cover and Santner comes in, bends down and takes it low to the ground. Shreyas Iyer c Mitchell Santner b Adam Milne 42(28) [4s-1 6s-2]
- 17.64Nathan Smith to Naman Dhir, FOUR, dropped! Fair to say New Zealand haven't been at their best in the field. This should have been taken. Full pitcher, Dhir throws his hands on the drive and the outside-edge flies to short third. Lockie does not time his leap as he tries to take it over his head, but the ball hits his fingertips and runs away to the fence
- 17.54Nathan Smith to Naman Dhir, FOUR, just over short fine. Banged into the pitch and the ball was bouncing over Dhir's head, but he takes it on and the top-edge balloons towards short fine, clears Henry and races away
- 17.2OTeam milestoneNathan Smith to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, 139ks hard length from Smith. The line is outside off and Iyer shuffles across, knocks it past Smith and rotates strike
- 16.54Mitchell Santner to Shreyas Iyer, FOUR, superb placement! There's a short third, backward point and cover-point in place. Very close to each other and Iyer has split them with precision. Fraction short and around off, Iyer waits and cuts it square, bisecting backward point and cover-point expertly
- 16.34Mitchell Santner to Naman Dhir, FOUR, a six followed by a four. Good start to the over. Santner goes short and outside off, Dhir cuts it behind square and the sweeper runs to his left, dives and flicks the ball in play. But Phillips knew he was in contact with the rope, signalled four before the umpire could send it upstairs
- 16.26Mitchell Santner to Naman Dhir, SIX, what an effort! Smith almost pulled off a blinder. This is bowled quicker and into the wicket, Dhir sits down and slog sweeps towards cow corner. Smith runs to his left and leaps while on the move, he takes the catch over his head but the momentum takes him over the rope. Could have tried the parry to his mate coming in from long-on? He was at full tilt and would have needed great skill to execute that
- 14.3WLockie Ferguson to Axar Patel, out Caught by (sub)Devon Conway!! Ferguson breaks the partnership. Just when it seemed India are ahead with a couple of big overs, Ferguson bowls a couple of dots and picks up the wicket of Axar. This is the hard length, following a backing away Axar and cramping him for room, the ball hits the sticker on the bat and lobs to short mid-wicket, where Conway bends down and takes it inches above the ground. Axar was looking to lift it over mid-wicket but could not get under the length. Axar Patel c (sub)Devon Conway b Lockie Ferguson 24(14) [4s-3 6s-1]
- 13.66Matt Henry to Shreyas Iyer, SIX, 20 from the over. The momentum shifts again. This is a fine shot by Iyer. Once again the batter premeditated the length, shuffled across and hopped on one leg to play the pick-up shot, got it off the middle and the ball sailed over deep backward square
- 13.5DDropped catchMatt Henry to Axar Patel, 1 run, tough to call that a chance. Fullish delivery close to off, Axar goes full-throttle on the drive, does not keep it down and hits it straight back. Henry stretches his right hand out and the ball does not stick. The ball almost deflects onto the stumps, with Iyer backing up. That would have been unfortunate
- 13.44Matt Henry to Axar Patel, FOUR, nicely done! This is smart batting. Axar knew that Henry was going to bowl the hard length and angle it away, so he shuffles across and laps it wide of short fine. Runs starting to flow again for India..
- 13.16Matt Henry to Shreyas Iyer, SIX, now Iyer joins in. This is a fabulous shot! Touch fuller than Henry would have liked, Iyer does not overhit the lofted drive, presents the full face of the bat and lofts it over mid-off. The fielder was inside the rung and hence it was a safe shot. The ball has enough to land just beyond the rope
- 12.64Lockie Ferguson to Axar Patel, FOUR, once again Axar ends the over with a boundary. He's keeping that asking rate in check. Short and outside off, there was ample width on offer and Axar does the smart thing of slapping it in front of square. The sweeper runs to his left but the ball beats him to the fence
- 12.5DDropped catchLockie Ferguson to Axar Patel, 2 runs, tough chance and Santner can't hold on. You usually expect those to be taken by the New Zealand captain. Full and slanted across, Axar reaches for the lofted drive and toe-ends it over mid-off. Santner backtracks and tries to take it over his head, but the ball escapes past his grasp and he lands awkwardly on his head. A couple of his team mates check on him before the physio comes out. He looks a bit flustered but will continue..
- 11.66Michael Bracewell to Axar Patel, SIX, Axar is getting the boundaries for India. He finished the previous over with a four, now ends Bracewell's fine spell with a maximum. This was full and in the slot, Axar gets under it and slams it down the ground. He struck that flat and all the way..
- 10.64Mitchell Santner to Axar Patel, FOUR, "22 balls since the last boundary," informs Simon Doull. Much needed boundary for India. Just releases some pressure. Fired full around off, Axar moves across and swipes it in front of square. Right between deep mid-wicket and deep square leg. Even an acrobatic dive from GP is not enough to stop the boundary
- 10.3WMitchell Santner to Ishan Kishan, out Caught by Finn Allen!! "You are not in Bengaluru now," quips Simon Doull on air. These are big boundaries at the Hagley Oval, and Ishan perishes trying to clear them. India have gone from 93/0 to 122/4. The momentum has shifted in New Zealand's pair. Santner smartly tosses it up around off, Ishan can't hold himself back and sits down to play the slog sweep, gets more height than distance, Allen runs to his left at long-on, slides and takes a fine catch. Ishan Kishan c Finn Allen b Mitchell Santner 1(3)
- 9.3WMichael Bracewell to Tilak Varma, out Caught by Lockie Ferguson!! Tilak's woes come to an end. Why was he sent up the order? Unless it was an injury to Ishan, the ploy completely backfired for India. His 11-ball 6 not only put the brakes on India's innings, but also put the pressure on the other batters. Bracewell was smart - he knew that Tilak was looking for a release shot and saw him shimmy down, slowed it up and dragged the length short, Tilak went through with the loft and got a thick inside-edge towards deep mid-wicket. Lockie settles under and completes an easy catch. Tilak Varma c Lockie Ferguson b Michael Bracewell 6(11)
- 8.6WMitchell Santner to Sanju Samson, out Bowled!! Dragged on! There's the wicket New Zealand were after. The squeeze was on and Samson's eyes lit up on seeing this short of length delivery, he looks to cut but the ball does not come on, the under-edge brushes the off-stump and lights up the stumps. A fine knock from the keeper-batter comes to an end. He has given India a solid platform in the run-chase. Sanju Samson b Mitchell Santner 67(33) [4s-8 6s-4]
- 7.16Michael Bracewell to Sanju Samson, SIX, Mitchell was interested for a while but the ball clears him comfortably. Bracewell darts it full on the stumps, Samson stays leg-side and goes down the ground. Not quite off the middle but sails over long-off
- 6.54Mitchell Santner to Sanju Samson, FOUR, just over backward point. This time there was width on offer and Samson reaches for the cut, he opens the bat face to slice it in the air and manages to clear the leaping fielder. 100 up for India..
- 5.5WMichael Bracewell to Abhishek Sharma, out Caught by Adam Milne!! The off-break to the left-hander works a charm for New Zealand - Abhishek is unhappy with himself and drags himself back to the pavilion. Was tossed up slower and just outside off - Abhishek backed away on the inside out drive over cover, but he made far too much room for himself, has to reach out in the end and slices a thick outside edge, into the hands of short third where Milne completes a simple reverse-cupped catch. Abhishek Sharma c Adam Milne b Michael Bracewell 29(12) [4s-2 6s-3]
- 5.4FFiftyMichael Bracewell to Sanju Samson, 1 run, tossed up and drifting into the pads, clipped down to long-on for a single, brings up a 23-ball half-century for Sanju Samson
- 5.34Michael Bracewell to Sanju Samson, FOUR, back-to-back boundaries for Samson - Bracewell dragged the length back, but it's too short and Samson carves it over mid-off with the back-foot drive, one bounce and over the ropes
- 5.26Michael Bracewell to Sanju Samson, SIX, crunched, tad too full and it's right in the slot for the right-hander - Samson backs away, gets under the ball and then lifts it nonchalantly into the stands at long-on
- 4.26Matt Henry to Sanju Samson, SIX, a top-edge and the ball has sailed over the ropes for a maximum - back of a length and at the stumps, Samson makes room on the pull, didn't get hold of the shot, high and back over the bowler's head. Had mid-on interested as he ran back, but the ball kept going and dropped over the ropes
- 4.14Matt Henry to Sanju Samson, FOUR, cracking shot, fraction short and at the stumps - Samson backs away and then swivels onto the pull, plays it in front of square on the on-side for a one-bounce boundary
- 3.66Adam Milne to Abhishek Sharma, SIX, massive, banged in short and just outside off - Abhishek picks the length early once again, swivels onto the front-foot and then smashes it high and over mid-wicket. Another expensive over from Milne - 26 came off it
- 3.56Adam Milne to Abhishek Sharma, SIX, crunched, back of a length and angling across the left-hander - Abhishek picks the length early, swivels across onto the pull and sends it high into the grass banks, at deep backward square leg
- 3.44Adam Milne to Abhishek Sharma, FOUR, edged and four, fuller length delivery and well outside off - Abhishek was giving the charge, throws his bat on the drive. The thick edge is found and it flies high and to Tim Seifert's left, couple of bounces and over the ropes
- 3.2OTeam fiftyAdam Milne to Abhishek Sharma, 5 wides, more wides, this isn't a great start from the home bowlers - full and pushed down leg, past Abhishek's flick and Tim Seifert has no chance once again
- 3.14Adam Milne to Abhishek Sharma, FOUR, edged and four, slip had been taken out and this would've gone straight at him - length ball that's pushed across the left-hander, Abhishek threw himself into the drive and got a thick outside edge, flying past the keeper who was moving to his left
- 2.54Lockie Ferguson to Sanju Samson, FOUR, lovely, on a good length and just outside off - Samson leans forward and then drives it on the rise, up and over mid-off for a boundary
- 2.46Lockie Ferguson to Sanju Samson, SIX, thumped, on a good length and angling into the right-hander, Samson picks the length early, swings through the line and sends it sailing over long-on for a maximum
- 2.34Lockie Ferguson to Sanju Samson, FOUR, oh dear! A comedy of errors and both Santner and GP can afford a laugh about it. On a good length and just outside off - Samson leant forward and then carved it high over cover. Santner chased it down from mid-off, GP ran back from extra cover and put in a head-first dive, GP got to the ball first and pulled it back, but it hit Santner, who was sliding, and rolled back along with them onto the ropes
- 1.34Adam Milne to Sanju Samson, FOUR, back-to-back boundaries for Samson - tad too straight and at the pads, clipped behind square on the on-side, made most of Milne's pace and got a boundary for himself
- 1.24Adam Milne to Sanju Samson, FOUR, lovely, tad too full and at the stumps - Samson leans forward, high and a straight elbow as he lifted it back over the bowler's head, one bounce and over the ropes
- 0.66Matt Henry to Abhishek Sharma, SIX, a maximum to get going for Abhishek Sharma - fuller length delivery and well wide of off, he goes through with the lofted drive, high and over cover and the ball has enough to drop over the ropes for a maximum
- 0.34Matt Henry to Sanju Samson, FOUR, cracking shot, not a bad way to get going - fraction short and at the stumps, Samson picks the length early, swivels across and then hammers the pull over mid-wicket, one bounce and over the ropes
- 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..
- Shreyas Iyer: [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. [On whether he gives Abhishek and Samson any instructions at the top of the order] 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.
- 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.
- Stats by Roshan Gede Highest successful chases for India in T20Is 226 vs NZ, Christchurch, 2026 209 vs AUS, Visakhapatnam, 2023 209 vs NZ, Raipur, 2026 208 vs WI, Hyderabad, 2019 207 vs SL, Mohali, 2009 204 vs NZ, Auckland, 2020 This is also the second-highest successful chase against New Zealand in T20Is, after 244 by Australia at Auckland in 2018. Naman Dhir in Overs 16-20 in T20s Runs: 341 Balls: 167 Dismissals: 10 SR: 204.19 4s/6s: 34/19 *where data available India’s chase Overs 1-6: 94/1 at 15.66 RPO Overs 7-10: 25/2 at 6.25 RPO Overs 11-19.4: 111/3 at 11.48 RPO Pace vs Spin for NZ Pace: 2/154 in 11.4 overs, ER: 13.2 Spin: 4/76 in 8 overs, ER: 9.5 Three batters - Daryl Mitchell, Bevon Jacobs and Abhishek Sharma - hit the first ball they faced for a six today, the joint-most in a Men’s T20I alongside four other instances. Only one of those previous four featured full-member teams: NZ vs ENG at Hamilton in 2018 (Liam Dawson, Chris Jordan and Colin Munro). New Zealand have now lost seven out of their last eight home T20Is against India. The lone exception ended in a tie (DLS method) at Napier in 2022. Naman Dhir’s 42*(15) is the highest individual score for India from No.7 or lower in a successful T20I chase, surpassing Irfan Pathan’s 33*(16) against Sri Lanka at Colombo (RPS) in 2009. Successful 200-plus chases in Men’s T20 cricket 2004-2009: 10 2010-2015: 25 2016-2021: 57 2022-2026: 168 Overall: 260
- Sanju Samson | Player of the Match - [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. [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.
- 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..
- Over 20 · 12 runs (4 1 1 6)
- 19.46Matt 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
- 19.31Matt 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?
- 19.21Matt 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
- 19.14Matt 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
- End of over 19 · 8 runs (W 0 1 4 2 1) · 1 wktIND 218/6Naman Dhir 31(12) · Nitish Kumar Reddy 1(2) · Adam Milne 3-0-43-1
- 18.61Adam 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
- 18.52Adam 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
- 18.44Adam 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
- 18.31Adam 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
- 18.1WAdam Milne to Shreyas Iyer, out Caught by Mitchell Santner!! There's the wicket. No mistake by Santner this time. This is a massive wicket as it is the skipper who is walking back. He should have seen this chase through. Good length ball outside off, there was width on offer and Iyer does not keep the slap down, hits it towards extra cover and Santner comes in, bends down and takes it low to the ground. Shreyas Iyer c Mitchell Santner b Adam Milne 42(28) [4s-1 6s-2]
- Adam Milne to Shreyas Iyer, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
- Adam Milne [2.0-0-35-0] is back into the attack
- 16 from 12. India are inching closer to taking a 1-0 lead in the series. But one wicket or one good over can change that. Milne to bowl the important penultimate over. How many can he leave for the final over?
- End of over 18 · 13 runs (2 1 1 1 4 4)IND 210/5Naman Dhir 24(9) · Shreyas Iyer 42(27) · Nathan Smith 2-0-20-0
- 17.64Nathan Smith to Naman Dhir, FOUR, dropped! Fair to say New Zealand haven't been at their best in the field. This should have been taken. Full pitcher, Dhir throws his hands on the drive and the outside-edge flies to short third. Lockie does not time his leap as he tries to take it over his head, but the ball hits his fingertips and runs away to the fence
- 17.54Nathan Smith to Naman Dhir, FOUR, just over short fine. Banged into the pitch and the ball was bouncing over Dhir's head, but he takes it on and the top-edge balloons towards short fine, clears Henry and races away
- 17.41Nathan Smith to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, high full toss, just below the waist and Iyer punches it down the ground. He calls for two but slips while completing the first run, settles with a single. There's dew around and Santner too could not collect the ball cleanly
- 17.31Nathan Smith to Naman Dhir, 1 run, 117ks another off-pace delivery, Dhir is cramped but manages to get the pull away to deep square leg
- 17.21Nathan Smith to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, 139ks hard length from Smith. The line is outside off and Iyer shuffles across, knocks it past Smith and rotates strike
- 17.12Nathan Smith to Shreyas Iyer, 2 runs, 113ks slower ball bowled into the wicket, Iyer moves away and lifts it over mid-wicket. He called for two immediately and Dhir comes back comfortably
- 19 from Santner's over. Should he have bowled considering there were other options? The equation now is in India's favour - 29 from 18 balls. Smith to continue..
- End of over 17 · 19 runs (2 wd 6 4 1 4 1)IND 197/5Shreyas Iyer 38(24) · Naman Dhir 15(6) · Mitchell Santner 4-0-39-2
- 16.61Mitchell Santner to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, flatter delivery around off, Iyer drives to long-off and retains strike
- 16.54Mitchell Santner to Shreyas Iyer, FOUR, superb placement! There's a short third, backward point and cover-point in place. Very close to each other and Iyer has split them with precision. Fraction short and around off, Iyer waits and cuts it square, bisecting backward point and cover-point expertly
- 16.41Mitchell Santner to Naman Dhir, 1 run, floated up outside off, Dhir reaches and lofts it over extra cover, just a single
- 16.34Mitchell Santner to Naman Dhir, FOUR, a six followed by a four. Good start to the over. Santner goes short and outside off, Dhir cuts it behind square and the sweeper runs to his left, dives and flicks the ball in play. But Phillips knew he was in contact with the rope, signalled four before the umpire could send it upstairs
- 16.26Mitchell Santner to Naman Dhir, SIX, what an effort! Smith almost pulled off a blinder. This is bowled quicker and into the wicket, Dhir sits down and slog sweeps towards cow corner. Smith runs to his left and leaps while on the move, he takes the catch over his head but the momentum takes him over the rope. Could have tried the parry to his mate coming in from long-on? He was at full tilt and would have needed great skill to execute that
- 16.2wdMitchell Santner to Naman Dhir, wide, throws it up outside off, Dhir lets it pass and picks up the wide
- 16.12Mitchell Santner to Naman Dhir, 2 runs, flatter and not quite in the hitting range, Dhir lifts it over extra cover and comes back for the second
- 48 from 24. But the good news is Santner is back on the field and is going to bowl this over. Can he pick up a wicket?
- Mitchell Santner [3.0-0-20-2] is back into the attack
- End of over 16 · 7 runs (2 1 1 2 0 nb 0)IND 178/5Shreyas Iyer 33(22) · Naman Dhir 2(2) · Nathan Smith 1-0-7-0
- 15.6Nathan Smith to Shreyas Iyer, no run, what a ball! Smith couldn't have bowled a better delivery. Pinpoint yorker, aimed for the base of leg-stump and Iyer can't do much about it, he's late in bringing his bat down and the ball sneaks under it to crash into leg-stump. That's an excellent over.. Just 7 runs
- 15.6Nathan Smith to Shreyas Iyer, no ball, ouch! That's a beamer. There is dew and that's why the ball might have slipped out of Smith's hand. Iyer was taken by surprise and didn't have time to get out of the way. The ball hits him on the gloves and rolls to short fine. He goes down and is not even bothered about the single. Iyer is fine and will face the free-hit delivery..
- 15.6Nathan Smith to Shreyas Iyer, no run
- 15.5Nathan Smith to Shreyas Iyer, no run, 138ks full delivery around leg, Iyer makes room and creams it straight to extra cover
- 15.4Nathan Smith to Shreyas Iyer, 2 runs, 118ks off-pace delivery bowled into the wicket, Iyer rolls his wrists over and pulls in front of square, couple more
- 15.3Nathan Smith to Naman Dhir, 1 run, 136ks fuller and outside off, Dhir sees the width and throws his hands on the drive, slices it off the outer half to third man
- 15.2Nathan Smith to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, fullish delivery around off, Iyer goes hard on the drive and squirts an inside-edge backward of square
- 15.1Nathan Smith to Shreyas Iyer, 2 runs, full and angling in, Iyer flicks it in front of square and Dhir calls for the second, the duo get it with ease
- Nathan Smith, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
- End of over 15 · 5 runs (0 wd 0 W 1 2 1) · 1 wktIND 171/5Shreyas Iyer 28(16) · Naman Dhir 1(1) · Lockie Ferguson 3-0-34-1
- 14.61Lockie Ferguson to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, dropped! This is a big moment in the game. Ferguson would have sent back both set batters in the same over. This is short and banged into the pitch, Iyer hops across and tries to pull it in front of square, hits it a lot straighter than he would have liked. Allen charges in, slides and gets both hands but the ball does not stick. He stuttered for a second when he was running in and that's what caused him. Ferguson can't believe it and is on his haunches
- 14.52Lockie Ferguson to Shreyas Iyer, 2 runs, short of length close to off, Iyer under-edges the dab and the ball rolls to third man. He called for two and raced back to make it in comfortably
- 14.41Lockie Ferguson to Naman Dhir, 1 run, back of a length around off, Dhir stands tall and punches to sweeper cover
- Naman Dhir, right handed bat, comes to the crease
- 14.3WLockie Ferguson to Axar Patel, out Caught by (sub)Devon Conway!! Ferguson breaks the partnership. Just when it seemed India are ahead with a couple of big overs, Ferguson bowls a couple of dots and picks up the wicket of Axar. This is the hard length, following a backing away Axar and cramping him for room, the ball hits the sticker on the bat and lobs to short mid-wicket, where Conway bends down and takes it inches above the ground. Axar was looking to lift it over mid-wicket but could not get under the length. Axar Patel c (sub)Devon Conway b Lockie Ferguson 24(14) [4s-3 6s-1]
- Lockie Ferguson to Axar Patel, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
- 14.2•Lockie Ferguson to Axar Patel, no run, appeal for caught behind. Ferguson was more interested than the others. Mitchell is the stand-in skipper and he decides against the review. Back of a length and angled across, Axar makes room and attempts the steer to third man, misses and the ball was close to the outside-edge. Seifert wasn't confident and that's why New Zealand don't review
- 14.2wdLockie Ferguson to Axar Patel, wide, sprays it down leg, Axar stays inside the line and does not connect with the glance, wide given
- 14.1•Lockie Ferguson to Axar Patel, no run, fuller and angled across, Axar pushes it straight to cover
- Santner is walking off. That is not a good sign. He still has an over left.
- End of over 14 · 20 runs (6 2 1 4 1 6)IND 166/4Shreyas Iyer 25(14) · Axar Patel 24(11) · Matt Henry 3-0-45-0
- 13.66Matt Henry to Shreyas Iyer, SIX, 20 from the over. The momentum shifts again. This is a fine shot by Iyer. Once again the batter premeditated the length, shuffled across and hopped on one leg to play the pick-up shot, got it off the middle and the ball sailed over deep backward square
- 13.51Matt Henry to Axar Patel, 1 run, tough to call that a chance. Fullish delivery close to off, Axar goes full-throttle on the drive, does not keep it down and hits it straight back. Henry stretches his right hand out and the ball does not stick. The ball almost deflects onto the stumps, with Iyer backing up. That would have been unfortunate
- 13.44Matt Henry to Axar Patel, FOUR, nicely done! This is smart batting. Axar knew that Henry was going to bowl the hard length and angle it away, so he shuffles across and laps it wide of short fine. Runs starting to flow again for India..
- 13.31Matt Henry to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, aiming for the top of off, Iyer knocks it in front of long-on and calls for two, but Santner swoops down and keeps it to a single
- 13.22Matt Henry to Shreyas Iyer, 2 runs, back of a length delivery, Iyer tucks it into the vacant mid-wicket pocket and races back for the second
- 13.16Matt Henry to Shreyas Iyer, SIX, now Iyer joins in. This is a fabulous shot! Touch fuller than Henry would have liked, Iyer does not overhit the lofted drive, presents the full face of the bat and lofts it over mid-off. The fielder was inside the rung and hence it was a safe shot. The ball has enough to land just beyond the rope
- Matt Henry [2.0-0-25-0] is back into the attack
- End of over 13 · 7 runs (0 1 0 0 2 4)IND 146/4Axar Patel 19(9) · Shreyas Iyer 10(10) · Lockie Ferguson 2-0-29-0
- 12.64Lockie Ferguson to Axar Patel, FOUR, once again Axar ends the over with a boundary. He's keeping that asking rate in check. Short and outside off, there was ample width on offer and Axar does the smart thing of slapping it in front of square. The sweeper runs to his left but the ball beats him to the fence
- 12.52Lockie Ferguson to Axar Patel, 2 runs, tough chance and Santner can't hold on. You usually expect those to be taken by the New Zealand captain. Full and slanted across, Axar reaches for the lofted drive and toe-ends it over mid-off. Santner backtracks and tries to take it over his head, but the ball escapes past his grasp and he lands awkwardly on his head. A couple of his team mates check on him before the physio comes out. He looks a bit flustered but will continue..
- 12.4•Lockie Ferguson to Axar Patel, no run, 137ks short of length angled across, Axar shimmies down and looks to flay it through the off-side, bit the extra bounce and angle take it past the top-edge
- 12.3•Lockie Ferguson to Axar Patel, no run, 136ks targets the body and cramps him up, Axar defends to mid-wicket
- 12.21Lockie Ferguson to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, 135ks back of a length delivery, Iyer punches wide of cover and crosses over
- Santner and Ferguson having a chat. Mid-off and mid-wicket are the two fielders in, along with cover and backward point..
- GautamS: "I still don't understand why Tilak Varma was sent ahead of Ishan Kishan? Literally that caused the mini collapse."
- 12.1•Lockie Ferguson to Shreyas Iyer, no run, 134ks full pitcher around off, Iyer pushes it back and Ferguson makes a fine stop in his followthrough
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