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A brilliant batting display from Rohit Sharma (80) and Shikhar Dhawan (80) powered India to 202/3 in the first T20 match of the three-match T20 series against New Zealand on Wednesday. Batting first, India openers gave hosts a solid start and hitting the New Zealand bowlers all over the park. Dhawan, who was dropped early in the game on nine, proved to be costly as he lit up the stadium with his fireworks. Rohit and Dhawan also registered India's highest opening partnership (158) in T20Is as they went past the previous record of 136 runs by Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag against England at Durban. (Live scorecard)
Along with this, India also recorded their highest total against the Black Caps in T20Is. For New Zealand, Ish Sodhi, picked up two wickets as he dismissed Dhawan and Pandya in the same over. Following which Trent Boult got Rohit's wicket in the 19th over. India have so far lost all their matches against New Zealand, the fifth and last one coming at the ICC World T20 in 2016. With a strong all-round and in-form team at their disposal, India will fancy their chances of improving their record against the Kiwis.
Live score and updates from India vs New Zealand 1st T20, straight from Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
20:30 IST: India 202/3 in 20 overs (Rohit 80, Dhawan 80). A brilliant batting display from the hosts lit up the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.
20:28 IST: Six! Mahdendra Singh Dhoni announces his arrival in the crease with a huge maximum on the leg side. First ball six.
20:26 IST: Six! Kohli starts the last over with a maximum off the first over.
20:22 IST: TV umpire judges Rohit Sharma (80) out. India 185/2 in 19 overs.
20:21 IST: Boult appeal for Rohit Sharma caught behind, on-field umpire turn down the appeal, New Zealand take a review.
20:17 IST: With two overs to go, India 174/2 (Rohit 76*, Kohli 9*). Can India cross the 200-mark.
20:12 IST: OUT!! Flight delivery from Sodhi and he gets turn and bounce, Pandya (0) is drawn into the forward defensive, the ball grips the surface and the spin takes the outside edge. Latham takes a comfortable catch behind the wicket. India 158/2 in 16.4 overs.
20:09 IST: Stumped! Dhawan (80) comes down the wicket, misses the wide ball from Ish Sodhi and the wicket-keeper does the rest.
20:07 IST: 18 runs off the Trent Boult over. India eyeing big total at Feroz Shah Kotla.
20:06 IST: Four! Full toss from Boult, Dhawan slams the ball straight down the ground for back-to-back boundaries off Boult.
20:05 IST: Four! Boult strays on the pads, Dhawan flicks it past the man at short-fine leg.
20:04 IST: Six! Boult steams in from round the wicket and lands it on a length outside off, Rohit plants his front foot across to scoop, the thickish top-edge flies over fine leg for another maximum.
20:03 IST: India 140/0 after 15 overs. (Dhawan 71*, Rohit 61*)
20:02 IST: India at 139/0 registered their highest opening partnership in T20Is going past previous partnership of 136 stitched by Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag vs ENgland in Durban.
20:01 IST: Back-to-back boundaries! Rohit Sharma is toying with Santner.
20:00 IST: Six and a fifty! Rohit makes space and hammers Santner straight down the ground. Scores his 12th T20I half-century.
19:57 IST: Six!! Right in the slot from Southee, Dhawan, in red-hot form, swings his arms for a massive maximum over mid-wicket. On the other hand, Rohit (46*) is also edging closer to his half-century.
19:50 IST: Six and a four! Dhawan rocks back and pulls Sodhi for a maximum on the leg-side and follows it with a boundary. Highest score for Dhawan in T20Is. Goes past 60 vs Bangladesh in Asia Cup Final in Dhaka in 2016.
19:49 IST: 100 comes up for India in the 12th over. India batsmen dominating the proceedings.
19:47 IST: FIFTY! Shikhar Dhawan scores his third T20I half-century off 37 balls.
1st T20I: FIFTY! Shikhar Dhawan completes 50. (37b). 96/0 (11.2 Ovs). #INDvNZ https://t.co/nhWHwH775k pic.twitter.com/Sm6Vu9nmqq
— NDTV Live Scores (@CricketNDTVLive) November 1, 2017
19:44 IST: SIX! Length ball from Munro and Rohit welcomes him with a huge maximum over long-on.
19:43 IST: Colin Munro, right-arm medium, comes into the attack.
19:42 IST: India 80/0 after 10 overs. (Dhawan 47*, Rohit 25*). The dew factor has been working in favour of the India at the moment.
19:39 IST: Four! India get another free hit and Dhawan slams the ball through the off-side for a boundary. Not a satisfactory over from de Grandhomme, concedes 18 runs.
19:37 IST: Free hit!! De Grandhomme trying the knuckle ball, bowls a full toss over the keeper and it's a no ball and a boundary too.
19:36 IST: Dhawan, who is playing on his home-ground, has quickly moved on to 40*.
19:33 IST: Excellent first over from Ish Sodhi, gives away only three runs. India 56/0 after eight overs.
19:31 IST: Ish Sodhi, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack.
19:30 IST: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan seem to be on top of their game so far in the innings.
19:28 IST: Four! Dhawan down on one knee, sweeps Grandhomme for a boundary past the man at backward square leg.
19:27 IST: Dropped! Colin de Grandhomme bowls a slower ball, Rohit frees his man, doesn't connect properly, but Southee at long-off drops a low catch, Rohit lives.
19:26 IST: Colin de Grandhomme, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
19:24 IST: Four! Flighted delivery just outside off stump, Rohit goes inside-out and lofts Santner beautifully over the man at covers.
19:21 IST: India 38/0 after five overs. (Dhawan 25*, Rohit 11*)
19:19 IST: In head to head in T20Is New Zealand have won five times and India is yet to open their account.
19:15 IST: Four! Width offered outside off, Dhawan cuts it with authority for a boundary. India is off to a solid start.
19:11 IST: SIX!! Short of a length delivery outside off stump from Southee, Rohit opens the face of the bat and upper-cuts, Boult, at third man, jumps really high but couldn't reach the ball.
19:10 IST: Brilliant second over for India, score 11 runs off the Boult over.
19:08 IST: Dropped! Short and wide from Boult, Dhawan cuts it, Santner, at covers, drops the catch.
19:06 IST: Four! Boult drifts on the pads again, Dhawan flicks it through mid-wicket. Consecutive boundaries for the left-hand batsman.
19:05 IST: Four! Boult strays on the pads, Dhawan edges it past the wicket-keeper to score the first boundary of the match.
19:05 IST: Trent Boult, left-arm fast medium, comes into the attack.
19:03 IST: Brilliant first over from Santner, gives away only two runs.
19:00 IST: Game time! Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma opening the batting for India. Mitchell Santner opening the bowling for New Zealand.
18:40 IST: Playing XI for both teams:
India (Playing XI): 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 (Playing XI): 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 IST: Ashish Nehra given a memento by the team for his remarkable contribution to Indian cricket.
VIDEO: Ashish Nehra given a memento by the team for his remarkable contribution to Indian cricket #TeamIndiahttps://t.co/3itQO1Ov5u pic.twitter.com/orHnyu3eUB
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 1, 2017
18:32 IST: Ashish Nehra included in the playing XI. "He has been a great servant for Indian cricket. He's one of the smartest guys I have played with. It's sad to see him go," Kohli said during the toss. For India,
Proud moment for young Shreyas Iyer as he receives his T20I cap from @RaviShastriOfc #TeamIndia #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/6Men3m6ciz
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 1, 2017
18:30 IST: New Zealand captain Kane Williamson wins toss, elects to field.
18:28 IST: We are just minutes away from the toss. Stay tuned.
18:10 IST: All eyes will be on the 38-year-old Ashish Nehra, who will be playing his last match in competitive cricket.
All eyes on one man - Ashish Nehra #TeamIndia #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/cmsnV8isrd
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 1, 2017
18:00 IST: Hello and welcome to the live blog of the first T20I match between India and New Zealand straight from Delhi.
In bowling, India will look to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah for breakthroughs with the new ball as well as in the death overs. With his match-turning effort on Sunday, Bumrah showed why he is considered the best death bowler in the world. Though he went for 92 in his 10-over spell in Kanpur, Bhuvneshwar has normally been a bowler captain Kohli could turn to. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal will be high on confidence after his crucial two-wicket burst at Green Park and he is again going to be the key spinner. Kuldeep Yadav is the other spinner, who could figure in the playing XI. Then there is Nehra, who will bring to an end 18 years of international cricket journey, and he must be hoping for that perfect ending. Against the likes of Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Trent Boult and Mitchell Santner, it will take some doing.
