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1st T20: Nervy India avenge World Cup defeat against Kiwis

India batter Suryakumar Yadav plays a shot against New Zealand in the first T20 international match at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, India, on Wednesday, November 17, 2021. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

By: Shubham Ghosh

INDIA made a good start under a new captain and coach on Wednesday (17) when they beat New Zealand in the first T20 international at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan by five wickets to go 1-0 up in a three-match series.

The Men in Blue also avenged their defeat against the Kiwis in the just concluded T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates that virtually threw them out of the tournament.

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India captain Rohit Sharma, who replaced Virat Kohli as the full-fledged skipper in the shortest format, won the toss and asked Tim Southee’s side to bat first. Opener Martin Guptill hit 70 while Mark Chapman made 63 to power the visitors to 164 for 6 in 20 overs. The Kiwis were off to a horrendous star as Daryl Mitchell fell for a duck in the bowling of pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the very first over. For India, Kumar and Ravichandran Ashwin picked two wickets each.

Chasing the competitive target, India openers KL Rahul (15) and Sharma (48) gave their team a good start and after Rahul departed on the team score of 50 in the sixth over, Suryakumar Yadav (62) added 59 runs with his captain to give India a strong launching pad to win. New Zealand got some crucial breakthroughs later in the game and left India to get 10 runs from the final over. Irregular bowler Mitchell bowled the final over but while he took a wicket, the hosts finished off the game with two balls to spare.

Yadav was adjudged the man of the match. This match was also the first with Rahul Dravid as India’s head coach.

The two teams will play in the second T20I in Ranchi on Friday (19).

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