Mumbai Indians

Phew! What a game the world witnessed…with a see-saw of emotions all over the place. India won a thriller yet again by four wickets at Hagley Oval, Christchurch… due to Player of the Match Tilak Varma’s blazing half ton, Naman Dhir’s terrific cameo and Nitish Reddy’s game changing shots. This was India men’s 300th T20I contest!

Triple blows for Kiwis inside the powerplay, Tilak’s safe pair of hands

New Zealand felt the pressure early on as India struck thrice inside the first six overs of powerplay. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav came out firing, putting the brakes on the opposition by grabbing a wicket each. The Black Caps were reeling at 43/3 in 5.2 overs.

Tilak Varma’s reflexes were top notch while fielding, snapping up two sharp catches of Tim Seifert and Daryl Mitchell, ensuring the Kiwis were put on the backfoot. TV is number one on the charts for most catches in a calendar year in T20Is- 26 catches. India seized control of the contest right from the beginning.

Glenn Phillips-Bevon Jacobs rebuild New Zealand’s innings, flip the script with timely half-tons

When the hosts were in need of a rescue act… Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs answered the call. They joined hands, took their time in the middle and then switched gears accordingly. The duo stitched together a crucial partnership of 116 runs, rebuilding the innings with calmness and composure. Phillips took charge while Jacobs played the supporting role ensuring the side had something to build on after a rocky beginning. Phillips 70(43) was caught by Naman Dhir while Bevon Jacobs perished on 58(46).

New Zealand ended with 180/5 in 20 overs.

Kiwi bowlers had the upper hand, reduce India to 70/5

The bowlers came out all guns blazing knowing the conditions well. They kept India’s batting firepower in check during the first half of the visitor’s innings. With the run rate mounting, the Men in Blue were under pressure to go for the big hits. New Zealand kept striking at regular intervals, while India was left searching for answers. They seized the early advantage as the hosts found themselves at 70/5 in 10.5 overs. Mitchell Santner waved his magic wand in the middle, grabbing key wickets of Abhishek Sharma, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel.  In comparison, at the 13.5 overs mark, New Zealand were 103/3 while India was 101/5.

Tilak Varma’s stylish half century, Naman Dhir-Nitish Reddy’s cameo knocks help India win

Naman Dhir had a different aura in the middle, the power packed finisher tried his best with a cameo of 31 in 17 balls, which included three sixes, SR-182.35. He smashed everything that came in his arc, making most of the dropped opportunity by the Kiwis.

Towards the latter end of the contest, Tilak-Nitish stuck in there when the storm hit hard. With 29 to get off the last 12 balls, India suddenly believed that something special was around the corner. The game went down to the wire yet again, as the Black Caps appeared a bit shaky. Tilak held his nerve, went bang bang in the penultimate over, bagging 18 runs. He eventually made a magnificent 51*(26). Finally, with 11 to get in six balls, India won the contest by four wickets.  

Brief Scores

New Zealand: 180/5 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 70, Bevon Jacobs 58; Arshdeep Singh 2/33) lost to India: 181/6 in 19.5 overs (Tilak Varma 51*, Naman Dhir 31, Nitish Reddy 26*; Mitchell Santner 4/21) by four wickets.