New Zealand spinners shine as India succumb to 21-run defeat in Ranchi T20I

Mitchell Santner (2/11) and Michael Bracewell (2/31) came up with impressive bowling efforts as New Zealand beat India by 21 runs in the first T20I in Ranchi on Friday, January 27.

Batting first after losing the toss, half-centuries from Daryl Mitchell (59* off 30) and Devon Conway (52 off 35) lifted the Kiwis to a competitive 176/6. India never quite got going in the chase and were held to 155/9.

Defending 176, New Zealand got off to a superb start as Bracewell cleaned up Ishan Kishan (four) with a beauty that spun past his outside edge to hit the off stump. Rahul Tripathi was back in the hut for a duck. He looked to slog Jacob Duffy across the line, but only managed a faint edge that was spotted by UltraEdge on review.

India sank into further trouble as Shubman Gill (seven) fell to Santner’s first ball. The right-hander wanted to pull a short-of-a-length delivery, but the ball stopped and turned. All Gill managed was to miscue the stroke to forward square leg. After 3.1 overs, Team India were in the doldrums at 15/3.

The last over of the powerplay was a brilliant one - Santner bowling a maiden and that too with Suryakumar Yadav on strike. SKY and Hardik Pandya, however, opened up to give some much-needed momentum to the Indian innings.

The Indian captain launched Bracewell for a maximum in the eighth over. Suryakumar then got two fours each in consecutive overs from Ish Sodhi and Blair Tickner. Thanks to a flurry of big hits, India reached 74/3 at the halfway stage of their innings.

India, however, suffered a massive blow in the 12th over as Suryakumar (47) chipped Sodhi to wide long-on after slamming him for a six on the previous ball. In the very next over, Pandya (21) top-edged an attempted pull off Bracewell, who took a well-judged skier. The Indian captain’s dismissal saw the hosts slide to 89/5.

Santner then outfoxed Deepak Hooda (10) with a canny piece of bowling and had him stumped. India’s innings derailed further as Shivam Mavi (two) was run out by a direct hit from Santner at the bowler’s end following a mix-up with Washington Sundar.

Sundar (50 off 28) struck some meaty blows at the death to reduce the margin of defeat. In the end, though, New Zealand were the deserving winners in Ranchi.

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Daryl Mitchell's blitz lifts New Zealand to 176/6

After the visitors were sent into bat, Mitchell smashed a brilliant 59* off 30 balls to lift New Zealand to 176/6 in Ranchi. The Kiwis were 149/6 heading into the last over. However, Mitchell clobbered Arshdeep Singh for three sixes and a four off consecutive deliveries as 27 runs came off the last over.

Arshdeep’s overstepping woes came back to haunt him. He bowled a no-ball off the first delivery, which was pounded over long-on for a maximum. It set the tone for the over as Mitchell went berserk.

Earlier, opener Conway also contributed a breezy 52 off 35 balls to keep the Kiwis in the hunt for a competitive score. Finn Allen began things on a positive note for New Zealand, smacking Pandya for consecutive fours. Allen looked in dangerous touch until he was outsmarted by Sundar for 35 off 23.

After the New Zealand opener slog-swept the offie for a six, Sundar had his man off the next ball as Allen miscued another slog-sweep. Sundar had two in the over when Mark Chapman (0) was beaten in the air and chipped a return catch to the bowler, who completed a brilliant take, diving full-length to his right.

Conway, who was deprived of strike in the powerplay, enjoyed the pace of Umran Malik and clubbed him for two fours and a six in the eighth over. Kuldeep Yadav, however, struck a crucial blow for India, forcing Glenn Phillips (17) to miscue a wrong'un.

While Mitchell slammed Pandya for two sixes in the 17th over, Arshdeep ended Conway’s fantastic knock as the left-hander miscued the left-arm seamer to long-off. In the same over, a brilliant piece of keeping from Kishan resulted in the run-out of the dangerous Bracewell (one). As Kishan struck bullseye, local boy MS Dhoni, watching from the stands, would have been proud for sure.

Santner (seven) also perished in an attempt to take on Mavi in the penultimate over. However, some brutal hitting from Mitchell in the last over gave New Zealand momentum at the halfway stage and also made a massive difference in the end result.