India vs New Zealand, 1st T20I - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Series: New Zealand tour of India, 2023 Venue: JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi Date & Time: Jan 27, 07:00 PM LOCAL

New Zealand registered their first win on the tour © BCCI

New Zealand take 1-0 lead

Washington Sundar scores his maiden T20I fifty, but his 28-ball 50 goes in vain as India fall well short as they finish with 155/9. A clinical performance from New Zealand as they register a 21-run victory.

Washington fights but wickets tumble

Although Washington Sundar has struck a few boundaries and a six, wickets at the other end aren't helping India's cause as they slip to 127/8.

India lose key wickets

One of those few times I have seen SKY play a shot without much conviction as he chips Sodhi to Allen at long-on. Huge wicket! Hardik then mistimed a slog and Bracewell took an easy return catch.

Santner, who is leading from the front, then removed Hooda. For a while there seemed to be a glimmer of hope for India but New Zealand have snuffed that out.

SKY to the fore

When India are in trouble, there is Suryakumar to bail them out! Once again SKY exploring all corners of the ground with sweeps and cuts. He did have a scare when he missed an attempted reverse sweep off Sodhi. The visitors did take the review but the ball-tracker suggested the impact was umpire's call and it was just hitting off-stump.

Hardik is giving him good company. India are back in the hunt now.

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Toss and teams:

So India have opted to field. Kuldeep is playing ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal. And New Zealand have picked middle order bat Mark Chapman.

Hardik: We will have a bowl first. Looks like a good track. I can see dew right now. Just go out there and play the best cricket we know. It is a young team. We will focus on playing good cricket. Playing the ODIs before T20Is makes it easy to pass on. For a lot of them it is an experience just being in the team. Yuzi, Mukesh, Jitesh and Prithvi miss out.

Mitch Santner: We were challenged in the ODIs. There is no experience like playing India at home. Would be a challenge for some of the new guys. Looks pretty good. The dew is setting in. Would have been good to bowl first. Putting runs on the board and then defending would be challenging. Tom Latham and Nicholls are gone. Chapman and Sodhi are in.

Pitch report: "The average first innings score is 156. Square boundaries are little over 60 and straight boundaries are little over 70, in the corner around the players pavilion it's only 57 and 59 metres. The pitch looks excellent, there is even covering of grass and there might be some help with the new ball. There is a lot of talk about the dew, the curator kept the grass as minimum as possible on the outfield to negate the dew factor. The ball will skid on nicely, but looks an excellent pitch for batting," reckon Ajit Agarkar and Danny Morrison

Prelude:

T20Is are back. And it is back to the free-spirited Hardik Pandya leading the side. It is another chance for the likes of Gill, Kishan, Umran, Kuldeep, Hooda and co. to showcase their wares in limited overs cricket. Obviously, in the shortest format, all eyes would be on India's star batter, Suryakumar.

Some of the fringe New Zealand cricketers like Duffy, Chapman and Blair Tickner too would be looking to impress.

Catch all the action from the first T20I in Ranchi in a few minutes time...