Glenn Phillips put on a stellar show as his unbeaten 82, alongside crucial top-order contributions from Finn Allen and Tim Seifert, powered New Zealand forward. Bevon-John Jacobs put on a show as well and chipped in as the Kiwis put in an awesome batting performance to post 225/4 in 20 overs. It was a clinical batting display against a listless Indian bowling line-up. They played with extra batting again and paid the price, and have a job in hand now.
New Zealand gets off to a blazing start in the power play
Put into bat first on a fresh pitch and a beautiful evening, Tim Seifert and Finn Allen came out to open the batting for New Zealand while experienced campaigner Bhuvneshwar Kumar had the ball in hand for India. There was a direct hit at the striker’s end as Seifert dived to get home and survive. Kumar bowled a decent first over. Arshdeep Singh had the new ball in hand from the other end. Allen drove it straight down the ground for a boundary for the first boundary of the evening.
Kumar continued and made the cardinal sin of overstepping. The free hit next ball yielded a boundary from Seifert as he squeezed it out past short third man. Seifert was in the zone now as he picked the shorter length and clubbed it in front of square for a boundary through the midwicket region. Seifert then launched the ball over long-on down the ground for the maximum as 17 runs came of the over.
Arshdeep continued as the Kiwis cut loose now. Allen got into the act by lofting the ball over backward point for a boundary. Then he transferred his weight on the back foot and slashed it over backward point and third man for a boundary. Allen made it a hat-trick of boundaries as he launched it up and over extra cover for a boundary. Seifert joined in the fun as he backed away and lofted it over extra cover for a boundary.
Mayank Yadav came into the attack next, and he dismissed Seifert for 24 off 17 balls with 3 fours and one six to his name, with the edge through to the keeper as India desperately needed a wicket and they got it now. Daryl Mitchell came out to bat next. Axar Patel came into the attack to bowl the last over of the powerplay. Allen took on Axar as he launched the ball down the ground for the maximum over long-off. Allen managed to punch the ball through the extra cover region for a triple. Mitchell got into the act and got off the mark with a smash down the ground for the maximum.
At the end of the power play, New Zealand were flying high at 65/1 in 6 overs with Allen unbeaten on 33 off 17 balls alongside Mitchell unbeaten on 7 off 3 balls. We now entered the middle phase of the game.
New Zealand kept the momentum going courtesy of Glenn Phillips despite losing a couple of wickets in the middle phase of the game
Mayank Yadav continued after the power play and bowled a wide before Allen got on the front foot and drilled it over Mayank’s head for a boundary. Axar continued as Allen moved to the leg side and launched it high over long-off for the maximum. Axar hit back and gave India some breathing space as he dismissed Allen for 45 off 24 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes to his name as he was holed out in the deep at long-off by Tilak Varma. Glenn Phillips came out to bat next and got off the mark soon.
Nitish Kumar Reddy came into the attack next. He bowled a decent over to start his spell. Axar continued as Phillips got on the front foot and got underneath it to go down the track into the sight screen for the maximum. New Zealand were 98/2 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the game as we paused for the Drinks Break. Mayank continued after the break as the 100 came up for New Zealand in 10.2 overs. Mitchell was batting on 16* when he got a lifeline as the batter hit it to long-on where Abhishek made a meal of it and dropped the catch.
Mitchell got into the act and pulled the ball in the gap between deep square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary and then hopped back to open the bat face to guide it past short third man for a boundary. Nitish changed ends as Phillips got into the act as he got down on one knee and slog-swept it away over deep square leg for the maximum. Arshdeep returned for a fresh spell and got rid of Mitchell for 28 off 19 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name as Kumar took a good high catch.
Bevon-John Jacobs came out to bat next and got off the mark with the maximum as he cleared his front leg and smoked it over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Arshdeep bowled another wide. Axar Patel came to bowl his final over as Phillips got into the act as he rocked back on the back foot and got it between deep midwicket and deep backward square leg for a boundary, and then a slap through sweeper cover was misfielded as the ball ran away to the fence for a boundary. Phillips made it a hat-trick of boundaries as he slammed it over the bowler’s head for a boundary.
Nitish came back into the attack and delivered a wide as lots of twos and ones were scored here. At the completion of 15 overs, New Zealand were well-placed at 158/3 in 15 overs with Phillips unbeaten on 41 off 22 balls alongside Jacobs unbeaten on 16 off 9 balls. We now enter the final phase i.e. the death overs phase of the game.
Glenn Phillips masters the death overs phase as New Zealand power themselves to 225/4 in 20 overs
Bhuvneshwar Kumar continued and was hit on the right hand and he was in some pain as we had a long pause in play. Jacobs was in the zone as he took on Bhuvneshwar to stand tall and muscle it over long-off for the maximum as Tilak made a meal of it in the end. Bhuvneshwar overstepped but the free hit yielded a single only. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Mayank Yadav continued as Phillips welcomed him with a club over deep midwicket for the maximum. Phillips reached his 13th fifty in 27 balls.
Jacobs took on Mayank and sent the ball over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Phillips then got underneath it and thumped it over long-on for one bounce and into the ropes. Arshdeep returned as Phillips slammed him to deep point region for a boundary. Then there was a run out against the run of play as Jacobs was run out for 31 off 16 balls with 3 sixes to his name. Michael Bracewell came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
There were wides bowled as Arshdeep finished his spell. Reddy came to bowl the 19th over and he felt he had gotten rid of Bracewell LBW, but the batter reviewed and got the decision overturned in their favour. The 200 came up for New Zealand in 18.2 overs. Phillips lofted the ball over extra cover for a boundary. Phillips got into the act as he lofted the ball over extra cover for a boundary.
India were penalised for slow over rate. Bhuvneshwar came to bowl the final over and delivered a wide ball. Bracewell then sliced it over backward point for a triple. Kumar continued bowling wides. Phillips finished things off on style as he got underneath it and smashed it over covers for a boundary to end the over and innings. Glenn Phillips remained unbeaten on 82 off 40 balls with 8 fours and 3 sixes to his name while Bracewell finished with an unbeaten 7 off 6 balls as the Kiwis finished with a massive 225/4 in 20 overs. 8 extras given by the fielding side.
The Indian bowlers went on a leather hunt as well. Arshdeep Singh finished with 1/45 in 4 overs. Mayank Yadav finished with 1/40 in 4 overs. Axar Patel finished with 1/51 in 4 overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy finished with 0/40 in 4 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with 0/49 in 4 overs. This means that the target for India is 226 runs to win for a 1-0 lead in the series.
Who’s Winning, New Zealand or India?Â
New Zealand have put the runs on the board on a big ground in Christchurch. India will have to bat out of their skins to win this from here. There is a little movement on offer for the bowlers. New Zealand are the favourites to win this at the interval. Let’s see how the second innings pans out.
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