Wides cost Kiwis dear as India chase 226 to win Christchurch T20I opener
New Zealand posted 225 for 4 in the first T20I at Hagley Oval and still lost. The main reason was a ragged bowling effort, with 17 extras handed to India in the chase. India reached 230 for 6 with two balls to spare and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
The scorecard shows how much the Kiwi bowlers helped India. The chase included 16 wides and one no-ball. New Zealand's own innings had only six wides and two no-balls, so India's batters got more than twice as many free runs. The damage came early. The new ball swung a lot and sometimes seamed, and the New Zealand pacers could not control it. In the powerplay they had already sent down several wides, which gave away well over a dozen runs. Adam Milne's over to Abhishek Sharma cost 26 and included a run of wides on top of two sixes and two fours.
The free runs added to some excellent batting. Sanju Samson and Abhishek put on 93 in just 35 balls. Lockie Ferguson and Milne conceded 48 between them in the third and fourth overs. Samson reached fifty in 23 balls and finished with 67 off 33, with eight fours and four sixes. He was named Player of the Match. Abhishek hit 29 off 12 before he edged Michael Bracewell to short third man. Bracewell and Mitchell Santner took two wickets each.
After the openers, India had to do some work. They were 146 for 4 after 13 overs and needed 80 more off 42 balls. Shreyas Iyer, who captains the side on this tour, made 42 off 28 balls. His dismissal left India at 210 for 6, and he and Naman Dhir had added 43 in 24 balls by then. Dhir was unbeaten on 42 off 15 balls, with five fours and two sixes, and he sealed the win with a six off the fourth ball of the final over. Axar Patel also chipped in with a few useful boundaries through the middle overs.
New Zealand's own innings had plenty of good things. Glenn Phillips was unbeaten on 82 off 40 balls, with eight fours and three sixes. Finn Allen made 45 off 24 and Daryl Mitchell added 28. Bevon Jacobs contributed 31 off 16 before he was run out, and Bracewell finished on 7 not out. India's bowlers were expensive on a pitch that got flatter in the second innings, as Iyer pointed out afterwards. Bhuvneshwar Kumar went for 49 from four overs and Axar for 51. Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy each bowled four overs and gave up between 40 and 45 runs. Mayank, Axar and Arshdeep each took a wicket, and Tim Seifert fell to Mayank. Phillips' late hitting meant India needed more than 225 to win.
The result matters for India as they begin their 2026-27 overseas season. Their batting depth is evident. They chased 226 without Ishan Kishan or Tilak Varma making a big impact, and Samson, Iyer and Dhir all contributed. The bowlers have work to do, though. Nobody except Mayank was economical, and India will want to tighten up before the Kiwis hit back.
The contest also has history behind it. India beat New Zealand by 96 runs in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad in March, and they also won the first T20I of the home series in Nagpur in January. New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, will have to cut out the extras if they want to turn that around.
The second T20I is on October 24 in Christchurch. The third is on October 27 in Wellington, the fourth on October 30 in Auckland and the fifth on November 1 in Hamilton. Five ODIs, from November 4 to 15, and two Tests, starting November 19 in Wellington, follow, and the tour ends on December 1.