New Delhi: Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel claimed two wickets each as India beat New Zealand by 53 runs in the first Twenty20 international in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Chasing 203 for victory, the Kiwis could only manage 149-8 in their 20 overs to trail the three-match series 1-0.
Notching up their maiden win over New Zealand in the format, India gave a fitting farewell to veteran paceman Ashish Nehra, who called time on his playing career.
Final scoreboard
India
R. Sharma c Latham b Boult 80
S. Dhawan c Latham b Sodhi 80
H. Pandya c Latham b Sodhi 0
V. Kohli not out 26
M.S. Dhoni not out 7
Extras (b5, lb1, nb2, w1) 9
Total (3 wickets; 20 overs) 202
Fall of wickets: 1-158 (Dhawan), 2-158 (Pandya), 3-185 (Sharma)
Did not bat: S. Iyer, A. Patel, B. Kumar, A. Nehra, J. Bumrah, Y. Chahal
Bowling: Santner 4-0-30-0, Boult 4-0-49-1, Southee 4-0-44-0 (w1), Grandhomme 3-0-34-0, Sodhi 4-0-25-2, Munro 1-0-14-0
New Zealand (target 203)
M. Guptill c Pandya b Chahal 4
C. Munro b Kumar 7
K. Williamsonc Dhoni b Pandya 28
T. Latham st Dhoni b Chahal 39
T. Bruce c Sharma b Patel 10
C. de Grandhomme c Dhawan b Patel 0
H. Nicholls run out (Kohli) 6
M. Santner not out 27
T. Southee c Dhoni b Bumrah 8
I. Sodhi not out 11
Extras (lb3, nb1, w5) 9
Total (8 wickets, 20 overs) 149
Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Guptill), 2-18 (Munro), 3-54 (Williamson), 4-83 (Bruce), 5-84 (de Grandhomme), 6-94 (Nicholls), 7-99 (Latham), 8-111 (Southee)
Did not bat: T. Boult
Bowling: Nehra 4-0-29-0 (w3), Chahal 4-0-26-2, Kumar 3-0-23-1, Bumrah 4-0-37-1 (w2), Patel 4-0-20-2, Pandya 1-0-11-1
Toss: New Zealand
Result: India beat New Zealand by 53 runs
Series: India lead the three-match series 1-0
Umpires: Nitin Menon (IND) and Chettithody Shamshuddin (IND)
TV Umpire: Anil Chaudhary (IND)
Match referee: Chris Broad (ENG)
AFP