Rain disappoints Hardik-led India, NZ

Owing to rain, there was no toss, and the first of the three Twenty20 Internationals between India, led by Hardik Pandya, and New Zealand was called off without a ball bowled.

The three-match series was levelled 0-0.

Rohit leads; India don’t (Ki)win

India made four changes to their playing eleven – Virat Kohli, Lokesh Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah made way for Vijay Shankar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya and Yuzvendra Chahal.

New Zealand made five changes to the eleven that last played the Indians – Martin Guptill, Glenn Phillips, Henry Nicholls, Tom Bruce and Trent Boult made way for Tim Seifert (the player of the match), Twenty20 International debutant Daryl Mitchell, Ross Taylor, Scott Kuggeleijn and Lockie Ferguson. 

On winning the toss, Rohit Sharma, inserted the hosts.

The first Powerplay of New Zealand’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 66, without the loss of a wicket.

New Zealand’s openers put on 50 off 4.4 overs (28 balls). India hadn’t conceded any extras at that point. While Seifert’s contribution to the partnership was 23, Munro’s Co(li)ntribution to it was 29.

Munro, whose 20-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and as many sixes, eventually scored 34. Fifty balls into the match, he was caught by Shankar. Krunal Pandya broke the 86-run partnership.

Seifert’s half-century – which included five boundaries and three sixes – came off 30 balls.

New Zealand scored 100 off 10.2 overs (62 balls). India had conceded a couple of extras at that point.

Seifert, whose 43-ball innings included seven boundaries and half-a-dozen sixes, eventually scored 84. Twenty-six balls after Munro’s dismissal, Khaleel Ahmed broke the 48-run stand.

New Zealand scored 150 off 14.2 overs (86 balls). India had conceded three extras at that point.

Mitchell, whose six-ball innings included a boundary, scored eight. Fourteen balls after Seifert’s dismissal, he was caught by Dinesh Karthik. Hardik broke the 30-run stand.

The fourth-wicket pair failed to get off the mark. Williamson, New Zealand’s skipper, scored 34. His 22-ball innings included three sixes. The (Ka)next ball, he was caught by Hardik off the bowling of Chahal.

Colin de Grandhomme, who faced four balls, scored three. Sixteen balls later, he was caught by the substitute, Mohammed Siraj. Hardik broke the 25-run stand.

Taylor, whose 14-ball innings included a couple of sixes, scored 23. A couple of balls later, he was caught by Ahmed. Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke the run-a-ball stand.

Mitchell Santner, whose four-ball innings included a boundary, had a reason to be in seventh heaven – he was unbeaten, as was Kuggeleijn, who scored 20. His seven-ball innings included three boundaries and a six.

India eventually conceded half-a-dozen extras. New Zealand scored 219 for the loss of half-a-dozen wickets off 20 overs.

Each of the five bowlers bowled four overs apiece.

Ahmed, Kumar, Krunal and Chahal picked up a wicket apiece. They conceded 48, 47, 37, and 35, respectively.

Hardik, who conceded 51, picked up a couple of scalps.

The first Powerplay of India’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 53, for the loss of a couple of wickets.

Sharma, who faced five balls, scored a run. Fourteen balls into the chase, he was caught by Ferguson. Tim Southee broke the 18-run stand.

India scored 50 off 5.2 overs (32 balls). New Zealand had conceded three extras at that point.

Shikhar Dhawan, whose 18-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and three sixes, scored 29. Nineteen balls later, Ferguson broke the 33-run stand.

Rishabh Pant, who faced 10 balls, scored four. Seventeen balls later, Santner broke the 13-run stand.

Shankar, whose 18-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and as many sixes, scored 27. A couple of balls later, he was caught by de Grandhomme. Santner broke the one-run stand.

Karthik, who faced half-a-dozen balls, scored five. Ten balls later, he was caught by Southee. Needless to say, Ish Sodhi was in seventh heaven.

Hardik, who faced four balls, scored as many. His runs came by way of a boundary. Four balls later, he was caught by Southee. Sodhi broke the five-run stand.

India scored 100 off 14.3 overs (87 balls). New Zealand had conceded four extras at that point.

The seventh-wicket pair put on 50 off 34 balls. While Dhoni’s contribution to the partnership was 29, Krunal’s contribution to it was 20. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a couple.

Krunal, whose 18-ball innings included a boundary and a six, didn’t add to the aforementioned score. Half-a-dozen overs after his brother’s dismissal, he was caught by Seifert. Southee broke the 52-run partnership.

Kumar, who faced three balls, scored a run. Five balls later, he was caught by Seifert. Ferguson broke the three-run stand.

Dhoni, whose 31-ball innings included five boundaries and a six, eventually scored 39. Seven balls later, he was caught by Ferguson. Southee broke the four-run stand.

Chahal, who faced three balls, scored a run. A couple of balls later, Mitchell broke the three-run stand.

Ahmed, who faced a ball, scored a run. He was unbeaten.

The number of extras they eventually conceded gave India no reason to be in seventh heaven. India, who were dismissed for 139 off 19.2 overs, lost by 80 runs.

Kuggeleijn bowled two wicketless overs, conceding 34.

Mitchell bowled 2.2 overs, conceding 13. He picked up a wicket.

Sodhi bowled three overs, conceding 26. He picked up two wickets, as did Santner and Ferguson, who bowled four overs apiece. While the former conceded 24, the latter conceded 22.

Southee bowled four overs, conceding 17. He picked up three scalps.

New Zealand led the three-match series 1-0.