Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan blasted 80 each as India reached 202/3. In response, Indian cricket team’s bowlers put up a magnificent performance with the ball as they restricted New Zealand and won by 53 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-match series. This was India’s first-ever win over New Zealand in Twenty20 Internationals and it broke their losing streak. However, the star was Ashish Nehra as he ended his cricketing career on a high in front of his fans at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Get highlights of India vs New Zealand, 1st T20 here.
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22:51 hrs IST : That is all from the game here. It will be remembered for Ashish Nehra’s farewell. What a moment it was. Goosebumps stuff. See you in Rajkot.
22:50 hrs IST: Shikhar Dhawan is the Man of the Match: I feel like I can play anywhere on the ground. I’ve got all the shots. All three formats are very important for me. I love all three formats and I love this game. I’ve got the belief that I can perform in all three formats and I make sure my processes and fitness are in place so I can compete with 25-year olds
22:46 hrs IST: Virat Kohli: Shikhar’s one-day game is so good and he always wanted to convert that into T20 as well. I think his adaptability was spot-on today and he unleashed all the shots he had. (About the photo) That was back in 2003 after he had come back from the World Cup. I was 13 then and struggling for a place in the school team. To have played 19 years is very hard for a fast bowler. I know how professional he’s been and how hard he’s worked. He deserved this kind of a farewell with the crowd cheering him. He can now spend time with his family, he’s got a beautiful family. We’ll stay in touch but we’ll miss him and I wish him all the best
22:43 hrs IST: Kane Williamson: One that stands out is the fielding. We were very poor there. I don’t think we can use the ground conditions as an excuse.India were superb and played better. When you’re chasing a total like that which was certainly many above par, you do need to take risks. It was disappointing but we will be back in Rajkot. I would like to congratulate Ashish Nehra on a fabulous career. Always a gentleman.
22:38 hrs IST: Ashish Nehra: One thing which will definitely be at peace will be my body. I said earlier that I can go a couple more years, but there can’t be a better time to walk away. I must be the one bowler who sent down the last over most number of times for India. But those times were different; there was no pressure today. The game has changed a lot since I started playing. I played my first game here in 1997. I have played under many different people, but it has been a memorable journey. There are so many people who asked me if I would have liked to play Test cricket. But you can see the glass as half-full or half-empty. I last played Test cricket when I was 24 or 25, but at the end, to have played for 18 years and to be here standing in blue clothing and to have played my final match, I could not have asked for anything more. Virat was on my case for the last 2-3 overs and I said I will bowl the last over. It is a big change and I have seen 18-19 years of cricket, I played my first game here in 1997 and there have been drastic changes. The rules have been changed and so many runs being scored. This is an amazing team and Indian cricket is in good hands for next 7-8 years
22:29 hrs IST: Nehra is been carried on the shoulders of Dhawan and Kohli. They are enjoying the moment.
22:24 hrs IST: Nehra is now having a victory lap at The Kotla with his Indian team-mates. Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan join him. The Delhi lads are having plenty of fun. Nehra’s journey began at the Kotla 20 years ago and fittingly, it has ended in front of his home crowd.
22:22 hrs IST: Ashish Nehra ends his international career. As he was bowling his last few balls, there was plenty of emotion visible. Dhoni was teary-eyed while even Kohli was emotional. The crowd at the Kotla were simply superb, egging on the veteran. As he walks off the field, Kane Williamson, his team-mate at Sunrisers Hyderabad, has a chat with him. Everybody is congratulating him.
22:16 hrs IST: 4,6! Some respectability provided by Santner as he blasts a boundary and a six off Bumrah. Will Ashish Nehra bowl the final over of the match?
22:11 hrs IST: New Zealand need 77 off 12 balls. Unless someone concedes 38 or we have a 77-run over ala Bert Vance, India have sealed their first win over New Zealand in Twenty20 Internationals.
22:09 hrs IST: 4,6! Good batting from Santner. He short-arm pulls a short ball on leg stump to deep square leg and next ball, he flicks a full ball over the ropes that is taken nicely by the ball boy.
22:05 hrs IST: WICKET! Full ball that skids through, Southee goes for the almighty swing down the ground but he gets a faint edge. Tim Southee c Dhoni b Bumrah 8 (4).
22:01 hrs IST: A moment of showmanship from Nehraji. Southee misses the leg glance and it goes to fine leg, Nehra shows his football skills as he dribbles the ball and returns it back to Dhoni, Kohli is amused as he claps on.
21:59 hrs IST: WICKET! Awesome bowling from Chahal. Flatter legbreak and it spins away, Latham looks to muscle it to mid wicket but misses and it is an easy stumping for Dhoni. Tom Latham st Dhoni b Bumrah 39 (36).
21:56 hrs IST: WICKET! All done bar the shouting here. Nicholls drills a full ball to mid off and Kohli scores a direct hit at the bowler’s end. Henry Nicholls run-out (Virat Kohli) 6 (7).
21:54 hrs IST: FOUR! Comical fielding from Shreyas Iyer. Nicholls short-arm pulls it to deep square leg, Iyer misjudges the bounce and it spins away to the boundary. Bumrah is amused.
21:51 hrs IST: The contest is well out of New Zealand’s hands now. India on the verge of getting their first-ever win vs the Blackcaps.
21:46 hrs IST: WICKET! Another one for Axar. New Zealand are slipping fast. Colin de Grandhomme miscues the slog sweep and once again holes out to deep mid wicket. Colin de Grandhomme c Dhawan b Axar 0 (1).
21:44 hrs IST: WICKET! Axar gets into the act now. This flatter delivery straightens on off stump, Tom Bruce miscues the slog sweep and holes out to deep mid wicket. Tom Bruce c Rohit b Axar 10 (10).
21:40 hrs IST: SIX! Chahal drags it short and Latham muscles the pull shot over deep mid wicket. New Zealand need a lot more.
21:37 hrs IST: Axar Patel concedes just six runs. The required rate is now 14.67. Too tall a task one feels.
21:33 hrs IST: FOURS! Loose stuff from Pandya as he concedes two more boundaries, one off Latham and one off Tom Bruce. New Zealand 65/3 after 10 overs and staring at a massive loss.
21:30 hrs IST: WICKET! Short and wide delivery outside off, bit of extra bounce, Williamson goes for the cut and edges it to Dhoni. The New Zealand skipper is gutted.
21:25 hrs IST: DROPPED! Oh dear, Kohli has spilled a chance at mid off. Williamson checks the lofted shot and the Indian skipper mistimes the leap. That would have been fitting but alas not to be
21:23 hrs IST: FOUR! Short ball and on leg stump, Williamson heaves the pull shot to fine leg, Axar Patel dives over the ball.
21:22 hrs IST: Ashish Nehra back into the attack. His first spell was 2-0-13-0. Can he get a wicket in his final international match?
21:18 hrs IST: Axar Patel concedes just five runs in the seventh over. The required run-rate is over 13 at the moment.
21:15 hrs IST: SIX! Williamson does it in style as he scoops a full ball to fine leg. New Zealand are 33/2 after six overs and facing an uphill task.
21:10 hrs IST: FOUR! Bumrah gets a thick edge off Tom Latham but the ball goes away to third-man boundary. NZ 24/2 in 5 overs
21:09 hrs IST: Now Bumrah into the attack. India are playing with five bowlers today.
21:06 hrs IST: New Zealand reach 18/2 in four overs
21:03 hrs IST: OUT! Munro (7) gone. NZ 18/2 (3.4 Ovs)
Bhuvi gives a deadly jolt to Kiwis. He delivers a yorker which is too tough for Munro to negotiate as his middle stump is rattled.
21:00 hrs IST: Bhuvneshwar Kumar replaces Chahal
20:57 hrs IST: Nehra into his second over. He doesn’t look too happy after umpire gave him a wide. This man is charged up in his last cricket match. But he goves away too many extras. NZ 15/1 in 3 overs
20:52 hrs IST: Kane Williamson in the new batsman at the crease.
20:51 hsr IST: OUT! Guptill gone. NZ 6/1 (1.3 overs)
Chahal does the magic in just his third ball as the Kiwi opener is caught by a super-human effort from Pandya at long-off. Guptill went for a strong heave as the ball went up. Pandya, however, intervened as he stretched himself fully to take a stunner.
20:48 hrs IST: Yuzvendra is attacking from the other end. Even NZ employed the same combination
20:46 hrs IST: FOUR! The veteran pacer, playing his final match, is hit for a boundary in the fourth ball by Martin Guptill straight down the ground. The left-arm pacer recovers well however. NZ 5/0 (1)
0:44 hrs IST: Welcome back everybody! Ashish Nehra is bowling the first over.
20:31 hrs IST: Kohli chases after a wide one and India have ended on 202/3 in 20 overs. This could be a daunting task for New Zealand.
20:27 hrs IST: SIX! The helicopter has taken off at the Kotla. The back-of-the-hand slower ball, Dhoni wallops it over deep mid wicket.
20:26 hrs IST: SIX! Brilliant from Kohli. Short ball and he whip-pulls it over deep mid wicket for his third six.
20:22 hrs IST: WICKET! Lot of confusion. Rohit looked to drill a full ball outside off, but he misses. New Zealand appeal and the umpire gives a soft signal as out. However, the third umpire gave it not out. Kane Williamson reviews the decision and Snicko shows a spike. Rohit Sharma c Latham b Boult 80 (56). India 185/3 after 19 overs.
20:18 hrs IST: SIX! Brilliant from Kohli. Short ball and the Indian skipper thwacks the pull over deep mid wicket.
20:16 hrs IST: Catch dropped! Kohli miscues the slog across the line and the catch is spilled by Martin Guptill at deep mid wicket.
20:14 hrs IST: SIX! Monstrous! Virat Kohli deposits an off-cutter into the third-tier of the stands at long on. Simply unbelievable. Even Kohli can’t believe it.
20:13 hrs IST: Brilliant over from Sodhi as he concedes just two runs and takes two wickets. Can India reach 200?
20:10 hrs IST: WICKET! Two wickets in the over for Sodhi. Ripping legbreak that kicks up on middle and off stump, Hardik Pandya gets the edge and Latham takes the catch. Hardik Pandya c Latham b Sodhi 0 (2).
20:08 hrs IST: WICKET! New Zealand finally break this monster opening stand. Wide ball from Sodhi and Dhawan reaches out but misses, Tom Latham effects an easy stumping. Shikhar Dhawan st Latham b Sodhi 80 (52).
20:06 hrs IST: 18 runs in the 16th over from Boult. India well on course for 200.
20:05 hrs IST: FOUR! Boult is really struggling here. Full toss outside off and Dhawan unfurls a tennis forehand to slam it down the ground. Simply marvellous.
20:03 hrs IST: SIX! Audacious from Rohit. Boult bowls a full ball outside off and Rohit scoops it over fine leg for yet another six. Brilliant batting.
19:58 hrs IST: 6,4,4! Rohit motors to his 12th fifty in this format. He absolutely tears apart Santner as the duo notch up the highest opening stand for India in Twenty20 Internationals.
19:56 hrs IST: SIX! Absolutely murdered. Short off-cutter from Southee and Dhawan crunches the pull shot flat over deep mid wicket.
19:55 hrs IST: This is Shikhar Dhawan’s highest international Twenty20 score. Can he get to a 100? Both batsmen are closing in on India’s highest Twenty20 International stand.
19:51 hrs IST: SIX, FOUR! Two short balls from Ish Sodhi and Dhawan sends them to the deep mid wicket fence. New Zealand running out of ideas.
19:48 hrs IST: Shikhar Dhawan slams his 3rd fifty off 37 balls. It has been a magnificent exhibition from these two. Rohit Sharma is also nearing fifty. The 100-run opening stand is up.
19:45 hrs IST: FOUR! That has been hammered. Full ball and Rohit wallops it down the ground. India staring at a massive total.
19:42 hrs IST: SIX! Rohit has teed off at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Length ball outside off, Rohit swings through the line and blasts it over long on for his second six.
19:41 hrs IST: Another good over from Sodhi but New Zealand need a wicket. After 10 overs, India are 80/0.
19:35 hrs IST: OOPS! Knuckle ball gone horribly wrong. A huge beamer and it goes to the boundary. Southee drops the free-hit at long off but next ball, de Grandhomme bowls another waist high ball and in the other no-ball, Dhawan smashes it to the deep extra cover fence. 18 runs in the over and New Zealand are in big trouble.
19:33 hrs IST: Only three runs in Ish Sodhi’s first over. Good turn and bounce.
19:28 hrs IST: DROPPED! Unbelievable! Southee drops a simple chance. Rohit mistimes the lofted shot off a slower off-cutter from Colin de Grandhomme and the catch is shelled at long-off. Insult to injury, Dhawan lap pulls a short ball to fine leg. New Zealand falling apart here.
19:23 hrs IST: FOUR! In the air but safe! Santner had bowled brilliantly and built the pressure but Rohit releases it by driving inside out just over cover for a boundary. Some spin for Santner.
19:20 hrs IST: After 5 overs, India are 38/0. This is a great start for India. Southee and Boult proving to be expensive.
19:17 hrs IST: FOUR! Sublime from Dhawan. Poor fielding from Sodhi though. Short ball from Southee, Dhawan glides the cut to deep backward point but a misfield results in a boundary.
19:14 hrs IST: FOURS! Poor line from Boult. Short ball on leg stump, Dhawan helps it to the fine leg fence while two balls later, he slams a short and wide ball past backward point.
19:13 hrs IST: In the air but safe! Boult bowls a short ball and Rohit miscues the pull to mid wicket but it evades the fielder.
19:11 hrs IST: SIX! Rohit Sharma upper-cuts a short ball to third man and it evades Boult who puts in a fine dive, the ball boy also spills the chance. India 21/0 after 3 overs.
19:07 hrs IST: DROPPED! Short and wide outside off, Dhawan crunches it to backward point but Santner spills the chance. That could be a costly miss.
19:05 hrs IST: FOURS! Trent Boult comes into the attack and he misses his line second ball. He bowls short and on leg stump, Dhawan nudges it to the fine leg fence and next ball, clips a full ball to deep mid wicket.
19:03 hrs IST: Good over from Santner. Only two runs in the first over. Good mixture of quicker deliveries and drift.
19:00 hrs IST: Mitchell Santner has opened the bowling. Rohit Sharma on strike.
18:58 hrs IST: The national anthems are all done. Time for India to break the jinx against New Zealand. Will Kane Williamson pull off a stunner yet again?
18:53 hrs IST: India have six bowling options in this match. How big a factor will dew be in this match?
18:47 hrs IST: What is your favourite Ashish Nehra moment? His death bowling, 6/23 vs England or his ever-lasting smile?
18:39 hrs IST: Here are the playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, MS Dhoni(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
New Zealand:Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Tom Bruce, Tom Latham(w), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi
18:35 hrs IST: New Zealand win the toss and choose to bowl. India hand Shreyas Iyer a debut while Ashish Nehra has been included in his final international game.
18:26 hrs IST: Shreyas Iyer has enjoyed a prolific run in domestic cricket and in the series against New Zealand A. About time that he got a call.
18:22 hrs IST: New Zealand have happy memories of the Feroz Shah Kotla, having won an ODI in 2016 when they defeated India by a narrow margin.
18:13 hrs IST: Shreyas Iyer is all set to make his debut for India in the game today. Home ground even for Iyer, thanks to his association with Delhi Daredevils.
18:09 hrs IST: After New Zealand finish the series, it is time for the Sri Lankans to come calling yet again. They will play three ODIs, three Twenty20 Internationals and three Tests. Angelo Mathews has been declared fit which is good news for the bewildered Lankans.
18:07 hrs IST: Ahead of his final international match, Ashish Nehra has been felicitated by Virat Kohli and the entire Indian cricket team. Magnificent moment.
18:01 hrs IST: Following their recent success in the ODIs, the Indian celebrated in grand style. They celebrated continuous success over the past few months in a grand style as the team dined at skipper Virat Kohli’s restaurant, Nueva. Almost the entire Indian squad was there at the restaurant with coach Ravi Shastri also present.
17:57 hrs IST: Ashish Nehra steps on to the field at the Kotla and the crowd goes wild. It all began for Nehraji at this venue almost 20 years ago, and now in 2017, he is all set to walk off into the sunset.
17:55 hrs IST: Shikhar Dhawan gets a huge welcome from the crowd, and ‘gabbar’ duly obliges. Kuldeep Yadav warming up, he could be brought back into the side after missing the Pune and Kanpur ODIs. MS Dhoni walks in and the crowd goes nuts.
17:51 hrs IST: The crowd at the Kotla have gone mad as Jasprit Bumrah, the No.1 T20I bowler, comes on the field. But, what about Nehra?
17:47 hrs IST: Now, this is interesting. The Indian players, coaches are stepping on the field but no sign of Ashish Nehra! Does this mean he might not play? That will be an anti-climax for the ages.
17:42 hrs IST: India are aiming for Mission 111, meaning world No.1 in all formats. They will have to break the jinx against New Zealand, against whom they have lost all previous five T20I encounters . In other team news, Matt Henry is warming up…. he could get a game today.
17:33 hrs IST: The earliest updates from the Feroz Shah Kotla are that NZ team warming up, with Ish Sodhi likely to play — he is bowling his leggies. Indian team yet to arrive on the field. Expected to be a full crowd on Nehra’s last game.
17:25 hrs IST: A warm welcome to the first Twenty20 International between India and New Zealand from the Feroz Shah Kotla. Virat Kohli’s side will be aiming to break the Twenty20 jinx against the Blackcaps, but more importantly, they will be hoping to give a fitting farewell to Ashish Nehra, who is playing his final international match today.
Considering the fact that BCCI has the most competitive and robust T20 competition in the world — the Indian Premier League — India should have been champions in the shortest format of the game. But New Zealand, who ran India close in the ODIs, have the players and the arsenal to look India in the eye. (FIVE KEY CLASHES)
Wednesday’s match should see some exciting contests. Ashish Nehra, a great exponent of the yorker, will have to deliver up front in order to contain the Kiwi big hitters like Martin Guptill. (PREVIEW)
India have the bowling arsenal to contain the Kiwi big hitters. Jasprit Bumrah, who attained a career-best third position in the ODI rankings on Monday, has regained the T20 top spot after Pakistan spinner Imad Wasim slipped one place.
India captain Virat Kohli, who on Monday edged AB de Villiers to claim top ranking in ODIs, also goes into the New Zealand T20 series as the top-ranked batsman in the format.
For New Zealand, captain Kane Williamson is the leading batsman at fourth place while left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner is the leading bowler in 12th position.
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