T20I 1: Sanju, Iyer, Dhir blast; India beat NZ in record chase

Christchurch: India carried their rich run-scoring vein from the West Indies series into New Zealand, as Sanju Samson's 33-ball 67 and Naman Dhir's late assault of an unbeaten 42 off just 15 balls powered them to hunt down 226, their highest-ever chase in T20Is, and beat New Zealand by four wickets in front of a sell-out crowd at the Hagley Oval on Thursday, IANS reported.

Earlier, on a fresh pitch, Glenn Phillips smashed a 40-ball 82 not out and lifted New Zealand to an imposing 225/4. But the superlative efforts of Samson and Dhir, along with dew coming into the picture, ensured India completed the chase with two balls to spare in a run-fest that produced 455 runs in front of a sell-out crowd.

While India rejoiced over acing a record chase, New Zealand, despite their moments in the field, will rue their inability to stitch together tight overs and their erratic fielding. Being wayward in the powerplay and conceding 17 extras left them playing catch-up for the rest of the innings. The second game of the series will be played at the same venue on Saturday.

India’s chase began with Matt Henry beating Samson on the first ball, but Abhishek Sharma launched the last delivery of the over for six, his record-seventh first-ball six in the format. Samson struck back-to-back fours off Adam Milne before Lockie Ferguson's erratic first over, littered with wides, fetched India 22 runs.

Milne fared worse next, as Abhishek collected two edged fours and two sixes in a 26-run over. Samson's six off Henry – sailing over mid-on – was India's 350th maximum in T20Is this year, the most by any team in a calendar year. More boundaries came for India, and Samson reached his fifty off 23 balls with a six and a four off Michael Bracewell, who removed Abhishek (29 off 12 balls) by getting him to slice to short third man in the same over as India ended the powerplay on 94/1.

Santner then turned the game by castling Samson off an under-edge in the ninth over, as the wicketkeeper hit eight fours and four sixes in his top-class knock. Tilak Varma, promoted to number three, laboured to 6 off 11 balls before holing out off Bracewell, and Ishan Kishan (1) fell to Santner as India slipped to 122/4.

Axar Patel ended a 22-ball boundary drought by hitting Santner in the gap between deep mid-wicket and deep square leg. Along with captain Iyer, Axar took 20 runs off Henry's third over. But Ferguson had Axar (24 off 14 balls) caught at short mid-wicket, while Finn Allen dropped Iyer in the same over.

With 48 runs needed off 24 balls, Santner returned after a nasty fall and was taken for 19 runs, as Dhir hit a six and four. Ferguson then put down Dhir at short third man as the batter looted two more fours off Smith. Milne had Iyer caught by Santner for a 28-ball 42 at the start of the 19th over, but Dhir kept India on course.

Needing eight from the last over, with New Zealand also penalised for a slow over-rate, Dhir drove a full toss from Henry for four and sealed the win by top-edging a short ball over the keeper for six and left the Indian dressing room thoroughly delighted.

Previously, after Finn Allen made 45, Daryl Mitchell and Bevon Jacobs played handy cameos of 28 and 31, respectively. But Phillips was the standout batter for the Black Caps – as he ensured fours and sixes were hit all around the Hagley Oval. Apart from the pristine timing and placement of shots, Phillips' astute running between the wickets stood out as well.

New Zealand made 65 runs in the powerplay before amassing 93 runs in the middle overs and 67 runs in the last five overs. None of the Indian bowlers went for less than 10 runs an over. Axar Patel (1-51) was the most expensive, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0-49), Arshdeep Singh (1-45), Mayank Yadav (1-40) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (0-40) were also punished. The fielding was sloppy, too, with a dropped catch and fumbles deep in the field.

After India elected to bowl first, a returning Bhuvneshwar swung early and beat Tim Seifert with his very first delivery in a tidy opening over. But the openers soon broke free. Bhuvneshwar overstepped in the third over, and Seifert cashed in on the free hit before launching a six onto the roof, as 17 runs came off it.

Arshdeep, playing his 100th T20I, fared no better next, with Allen hitting three fours in a row and Seifert adding another as 17 more were taken. Mayank struck in his first over when Seifert (24 off 17 balls) edged one behind to Samson. Allen and Mitchell then launched Axar for two sixes in the final over of the powerplay, with the latter lofting over long-on.

But Axar had the last word against Allen, who mistimed a loft to long-off and fell for 45 off 24 balls. Mitchell, dropped by Abhishek at long-on off Mayank when on 16, punished the lapse with successive boundaries before Arshdeep had him caught at short third man for 28 and ended his 42-run stand with Phillips.

Jacobs announced himself with a six off his first ball, while Phillips took three fours off Axar in the 14th over, one of them after a misfield by substitute fielder Prince Yadav. The 16th over brought more drama as Bhuvneshwar was struck on the wrist and Jacobs holed out off a free-hit, which did not count.

A marauding Phillips then raced to his 13th T20I fifty with a six off Mayank in an 18-run over. Arshdeep, though, kicked the ball onto the stumps to run out Jacobs for a 16-ball 31 that included three sixes.

Michael Bracewell survived an LBW decision on review as New Zealand crossed 200 in the 19th over. India were penalised for a slow over-rate in the final over, which led to an extra fielder coming into the 30-yard circle, and Phillips signed off with a switch-hit four off Bhuvneshwar. It was a total that would have been enough on most nights, but not against an Indian side in a record-chasing mood.