New Zealand defeated India by 21 runs in the first T20I on Friday to grab a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. India had earlier won the toss and invited New Zealand to bat first.
New Zealand got off to a solid start thanks to Devon Conway and Finn Allen, who went out on 35. Devon Conway, the opening batsman, scored a rapid fifty before getting out by Arshdeep Singh.
At the end of 20 overs, the Kiwis had scored 176 runs. Daryl Mitchell led the way for New Zealand, scoring 59 runs off 30 balls. Conway also scored 52 runs off 35 balls.
Washington Sundar struck a fighting first T20I fifty. He was unable to prevent hosts India from losing by 21 runs to New Zealand at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.
Wasim Jaffer feels Hardik blew an opportunity by not allowing Deepak Hooda to bowl two extra overs
Hardik Pandya, according to Wasim Jaffer, could have allowed Deepak Hooda to finish all four of his overs. The Ranchi pitch provided a lot of turn, as Kiwi spinners Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell took 2/11 and 2/31, respectively.
Despite the fact that Ranchi is a spin-friendly pitch, Indian captain Hardik Pandya trusted fast bowlers to bowl their quotas. Meanwhile, Jaffer thought the captain should have made better use of his spin options.
India lost three wickets immediately while batting second. The hosts could not recover from a poor start and were 15/3 in 3.1 overs. Suryakumar Yadav batted steadily for 47 balls (34) before getting out.
Washington Sundar’s performance was the biggest positive for India. The all-rounder delivered an outstanding performance. He hit 50 off 28 balls and took two wickets in four overs at an economy rate of 5.5.
Jaffer wants to see Prithvi Shaw replace Umran Malik in the India VS New Zealand second T20I
Umran Malik, Team India’s latest bowling sensation, failed to impress cricket pundits in the first game against New Zealand. Umran bowled only one over and gave up 16 runs.
Wasim Jaffer, the former Indian cricketer, argues that India should play an extra batter in place of Umran Malik. Wasim Jaffer would want to see Prithvi Shaw or Jitesh Sharma in India’s starting lineup for the Lucknow T20I.
“Umran Malik is likely to struggle Unless he varies his pace. Even today when he came into the bowl, he should have thought cutters were probably a better option. But he doesn’t bowl that”, said Jaffer.
Arshdeep Singh was also costly in his four overs. He gave away 27 runs in the final over of the game, which helped New Zealand to a solid total of 176 runs. India will be looking to make a comeback in the series’ second game.
