NZ VS IND - 1st T20I, India tour of New Zealand, 2020

So it's 1-0 up for India in this 5-match series. Shreyas Iyer's finishing will please the management. We hope Bumrah twisting the ankle isn't a thing to worry, although he did complete the final over. This contest has definitely put a lot more interest into the next one which is to be played on Sunday at the same venue. If it's Eden Park, it's generally high scoring. Just about 44 hours more for the adrenaline to get going then. Enjoy your weekend till then. See you!

First instance of five 50+ scores in a T20I:
C Munro 59
K Williamson 51
R Taylor 54*
KL Rahul 56
S Iyer 58*

Virat Kohli | India captain: We enjoyed this. Landing two days before and playing a game like this, it was fantastic. Felt like 80% support was for us and the crowd was right behind us. You need that sort of push chasing 200+. We never spoke of the jetlag in the team. We didn't want any excuse. We just focused on what we needed to do to win. We were looking forward to play. We have done well in T20Is in the last one year. You can't be harsh on anyone on this sort of a pitch. I thought 230 was on at one point, but we pulled it back nicely

Kane Williamson | New Zealand captain: There are a lot of positives. It is hard to defend here and there was a bit of dew here. We knew we had to score over 200 with this being a used surface. Credit to India for the way they played. Taking pace off seemed to be working okay, but it was tough to execute because India put us under pressure constantly. But we do need to find ways to pick up some wickets. It was nice to build some partnerships. Guys came in and played their roles really well. It's important we improve in all areas in the next game.

Shreyas Iyer | Player of the Match: Amazing to win a game overseas and finishing not out is special. We had lost quick wickets, so we had to build partnerships. We always knew we can score runs because this is a small ground. Looking forward to similar support in the remaining games as well.

23:15 Local Time, 10:15 GMT, 15:45 IST: India have chased down 204 with an over to spare. That's how comfortable they were in the chase. KL Rahul set the base with his stylish hits after the early departure of Rohit. India escaped a run-out (in fact both could have been out off same delivery) and then Sodhi messed a chance off Kohli. The duo added 99 runs for the second wicket and were at it at a good pace. Though both fell in quick succession, Shreyas Iyer came out positive and never allowed the New Zealand bowlers to bowl to their plans. To be very honest, there wasn't much of a bite in the bowling effort from Kane and Co. Iyer toyed with them by shuffling in the crease and then using his talent to play shots in the gap.

Chasing targets > 200 most times in T20Is
4 India
2 Australia
Once each by SA, NZ, WI, England, Bangladesh & Qatar.

Highest targets chased down by India (T20I)
208 v WI Hyderabad 2019
207 v SL Mohali 2009
204 v NZ Auckland 2020 *
202 v Aus Rajkot 2013
199 v Eng Bristol 2018
198 v Aus SCG 2016

Only once a higher target chased down vs NZ - 244 by Aus at the same venue in 2018

Southee to Shreyas Iyer, SIX, he's not missing out on this one. He's hit this slower ball high and handsomely over mid-wicket, that has gone a long way back into the stands. Southee can't telegraph about the slower ball and then deliver

Southee to Shreyas Iyer, no run, Iyer wanted to send this all the way to close the game, but he's missed this slower delivery

Southee to Manish Pandey, 1 run, short ball, Pandey pulls along the ground to deep mid-wicket

Southee to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, short of length delivery, pulled away to deep square leg

Southee to Shreyas Iyer, FOUR, brilliant! He's moving around the crease to unsettle the bowler, Southee targets the sticks with Iyer making them visible, batsman then brings the bat down perfectly to flick it over backward square leg. A really good fifty from Shreyas Iyer

Southee to Shreyas Iyer, SIX, lofting a fast bowler off the back foot over long-off, wow! Shreyas Iyer backs away in his crease, Southee bowls short of length, but that doesn't stop Iyer from going through with the lofted shot

Bennett to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, would have been a wide had Iyer left this leg-side delivery, he tried to glance wide of short fine leg, only managed an edge that rolled to the keeper and deflected to short fine leg

Bennett to Manish Pandey, 1 run, Pandey slogs, but there is man at deep backward square leg and he takes it on the bounce

Bennett to Shreyas Iyer, 1 run, short of length delivery, Iyer drives it towards to long-on

Bennett to Shreyas Iyer, no run, short and rising steeply, Iyer backs away and tries to guide the ball, misses

Back over the wicket after two round the wicket

Bennett to Shreyas Iyer, FOUR, okay, now Bennett has corrected his line, by bowling on the off stump, but Iyer plays a classy flick shot to split long-on and deep mid-wicket to perfection. Kane feeling the heat now

Bennett to Shreyas Iyer, FOUR, seriously, why even attempt a leg-side delivery if you don't have a fine leg in place? Bennett went for the base of the sticks, but it didn't land and Iyer got inside the line to flick it along the ground past short fine leg