Cricket
oi-Gaurav Sharma
Naman Dhir rose to the occasion with a stunning unbeaten 42 as India chased down a target of 226 to win by four wickets in the opening T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand at Hagley Oval on Thursday.
Dhir smashed five boundaries and two sixes in his rapid 15-ball innings as India reached a clinical 230/6 in 19.4 overs to clinch the victory with two balls remaining.
India secured a four-wicket win against New Zealand in the first T20I at Hagley Oval on Thursday, chasing down 226 with Naman Dhir scoring an unbeaten 42, placing India 1-0 up in the five-match series.
India had got off to a flyer in their run chase as opener Sanju Samson smashed 67 off 33 deliveries while Abhishek Sharma remained unbeaten on 29 from 12 balls.
Their spectacular opening stand was dismantled by New Zealand in the middle overs as the pressure mounted on the Indian batters.
However, Dhir came to the party at the most important of times and accelerated the innings before hitting the winning runs with Shreyas Iyer, who remained unbeaten on 42 from 28 balls, seeing the team to the finish line.
Naman Dhir Turns It On In Pressure Situation
Dhir’s unbeaten 42 was a statement of intent as the Indian lower order looked to accelerate and get past the finish line with time to spare.
Rather than sitting back and trying to tick over the required run rate, they went on the attack and kept the pressure on the Kiwi bowlers.
The right-hander’s unbeaten 42 also came at a crucial point in the innings as the Indian middle-order folded under pressure.
Glenn Phillips’ Effort Goes In Vain
Earlier, New Zealand posted a mammoth 225/4 in 20 overs in reply to India’s 138.
Unbeaten half-century by Glenn Phillips (82) off 40 balls guided the hosts to a competitive total as they were supported by Finn Allen’s 45 from 24 balls.
However, India’s aggressive batting saw them chase down the total with two wickets in hand.
The four-wicket win puts India in a commanding position in the five-match T20I series as they take a 1-0 lead in the T20I series.
