New Zealand vs India, 1st T20I: 12 key moments, ball by ball

India beat New Zealand by 4 wickets in 1st T20I of Twenty20 International — India tour of New Zealand. Here is how the match turned, ball by ball: the overs that changed it, the wickets that mattered and the numbers behind the result.

Key moments, ball by ball

1. NZ Over 3 — 17 runs came off the over, bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar: nb 4 0 1 1 4 6
2. NZ Over 7.5 — Finn Allen out for 45 (24), caught by Axar Patel. 80/2
3. NZ Over 12.2 — Daryl Mitchell out for 28 (19), caught by Arshdeep Singh. 122/3
4. NZ Over 16.3 — Glenn Phillips brings up a fifty off 27 balls
5. NZ Over 17 — 18 runs came off the over, bowled by Mayank Yadav: 6 1 0 6 1 4
6. NZ Over 17.5 — Bevon Jacobs run out for 31 (16). 195/4
7. IND Over 3 — 22 runs came off the over, bowled by Lockie Ferguson: wd 0 1 4 6 4 wd 0
8. IND Over 4 — 26 runs came off the over, bowled by Adam Milne: 4 wd 0 0 4 wd 6 6
9. IND Over 5.4 — Sanju Samson brings up a fifty off 23 balls
10. IND Over 5.5 — Abhishek Sharma out for 29 (12), caught by Michael Bracewell. 93/1
11. IND Over 8.6 — Sanju Samson out for 67 (33), bowled by Mitchell Santner. 115/2
12. IND Over 19.5 — Naman Dhir finished it off with a six off Matt Henry

How the runs came

New Zealand were 98 after 10 overs and finished on 225/4. India were 119 after 10 overs and finished on 230/6.

Phase by phase

In the powerplay, India scored 29 more than New Zealand. In the middle overs, New Zealand scored 16 more than India. In the death overs, New Zealand scored 8 more than India.

New Zealand innings: over by over

New Zealand faced 20 dot balls (16%), hit 18 fours and 10 sixes, and got 8 extras. The best stand was 73 off 33 balls between Tim Seifert & Bevon Jacobs.

Fall of wickets: 49-1 (Tim Seifert, 5.1), 80-2 (Finn Allen, 7.5), 122-3 (Daryl Mitchell, 12.2), 195-4 (Bevon Jacobs, 17.5)

India innings: over by over

India faced 28 dot balls (24%), hit 19 fours and 12 sixes, and got 17 extras. The best stand was 93 off 35 balls between Sanju Samson & Abhishek Sharma.

Fall of wickets: 93-1 (Abhishek Sharma, 5.5), 115-2 (Sanju Samson, 8.6), 117-3 (Tilak Varma, 9.3), 122-4 (Ishan Kishan, 10.3), 167-5 (Axar Patel, 14.3), 210-6 (Shreyas Iyer, 18.2)

Our view

Chasing 225 runs was never going to be easy, especially against New Zealand's bowling attack. But the way India started made one thing clear — they weren't going to let the pressure of a big target slow them down. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma added 93 runs in just 35 balls for the opening wicket, putting India in a strong position early in the chase.

In our view, Sanju Samson's 67 off 33 balls was the biggest reason behind India's victory. He didn't just score quickly; he made it difficult for New Zealand's bowlers to settle into their rhythm during the opening overs.

However, when India slipped from 115/1 to 122/4, it suddenly looked like they might throw away a brilliant start. That was the moment when the match became interesting again. Despite losing quick wickets, India kept finding the boundaries when needed, and Naman Dhir eventually sealed the victory with a six.

For New Zealand, Glenn Phillips played an excellent knock of 82 off 40 balls. But we feel their bowlers couldn't create enough pressure in the final overs. After putting 225 runs on the board, New Zealand had a real opportunity to defend the total.

For us, this match showed why aggressive batting at the right time can make all the difference in a big run chase. India's explosive start gave them the advantage, and despite a few nervous moments in the middle, they managed to hold on and finish the job.

Top performers

• Glenn Phillips — 82 (40 balls)
• Sanju Samson — 67 (33 balls)
• Finn Allen — 45 (24 balls)
• Michael Bracewell — 2/37 (4 ov)
• Mitchell Santner — 2/39 (4 ov)
• Lockie Ferguson — 1/34 (3 ov)

Full scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary: New Zealand vs India