Kiwis upset India by 47 runs

New Zealand handed India a 47-run pasting with their spinners ruling the roost at the turning track at Nagpur during the Super 10 game of ICC WT20 2016 tonight.

India failed to the chase down their lowest T20I total, and paid the ultimate price for underestimating Kiwi spinners. The New Zealand slow bowlers: Santner, Sodhi and McCullum took nine wickets between them.

Santner broke the back of India’s chase with four wickets for only 11 runs. Ish Sodhi also enjoyed bowling on the spinning pitch, took three for 18. Nathan McCullum struck early and took two wickets for 15 runs in three overs.

For India, MS Dhoni’s 30 from 30 balls was the highest personal score. Kohli couldn’t score more than 23.

Milne removed Nehra with his first ball in the 19th over, and kept New Zealand’s unbeaten record against India in T20Is intact.

India lost their seventh wicket in the 11th over, and the writing was on the wall for the home side. Ish Sodhi captured his second of the night as Jadeja was caught and bowled for a three-ball duck.

The tenth over of India’s chase saw another Indian batter fall prey to Santner spin. Pandya was trapped in front for one run by Santner. TV replays the ball would have clipped leg.

India lost the big wicket of Kohli when Ish Sodhi struck with his first ball. Kohli got an outside edge to a big ripping leg-break and perished for 23 runs in the ninth over.

Nathan McCullum took his second wicket in the fifth over, and sent India reeling in their chase.

Yuvraj Singh was caught and bowled for four runs. He came forward to the flighted ball, the ball pitched just before it hit the bat and the batsman chipped it cleanly to the bowler. The third umpire confirmed the catch and sent back Yuvraj.

Kiwi bowler Santner gave his side plenty to cheer about after he took two important wickets in the third over of India’s chase.

Suresh Raina failed to fire tonight, moved back across the stumps, closed the bat-face too early and was easily caught at mid-wicket. He fell for a single run.

Rohit Sharma was dismissed in the third over, and India felt the pressure getting to them. Santner took his first wicket when he fooled Sharma with his length, the ball ripped past the outside edge and the keeper completed the stumping after a fumble.

The Indian opener scored only five runs.

Wickets put Kiwis on top…

India lost their opener Shikhar Dhawan in the first over of their chase of 127. Nathan McCullum trapped the batter in front for a single run.

Dhawan tried to sweep but missed his shot and the ball struck him flush on the pad. The umpire didn’t hesitate to rule in favour of the bowler.

Earlier, A strong performance in the field by Indian cricketers allowed them to restrict New Zealand to 126 for 7 in the first match of the Super 10 phase of the ICC WT20 2016.

On a spinning Nagpur track where the ball wasn’t coming on, Indian spinners as well as their medium-fast bowlers denied the Kiwi batters pace to play with, and kept up the pressure from both ends. Five India bowlers picked up a wicket each.

New Zealand were devoid of a substantial partnership, and 28 for the fifth wicket was their best effort. Corey Anderson was the highest scorer for his side with 34 from 42 balls.

Luke Ronchi gave the Kiwis some much-needed runs at the end with 21 from 11.

New Zealand lost their seventh wicket, that of Elliot when he was run out for nine runs in the last over of their innings.

Jadeja picked up his first wicket of the game in the 17th over. He removed Santner for 18 runs when the batsman tried to open his shoulders.

India’s Bumrah came back in the 16th over, delivered yorker after yorker and sent back Corey Anderson for a well-made 34.

Anderson tried to scoop the ball over fine leg but Bumrah uprooted his middle stump. The Kiwi allrounder faced 42 balls and struck three fours in his innings.

New Zealand lost the important wicket of Ross Taylor due to a brilliant piece of fielding by the bowler Raina in the 12th over.

Raina moved quickly in his follow-through, dived, tumbled and rolled as he collected the ball and backhanded it on to the stumps. Taylor was a long way out and was run out for 10 runs from 14 balls.

Kiwis stumble after the quick wickets…

The Kiwis were rattled again in the seventh over when their captain Williamson lost his cool and gave away his wicket. Williamson stepped out of the crease too early and was stumped comfortably in the end.

Raina sent back Williamson for eight runs only.

India got their second breakthrough not long after Ashwin struck, and Ashish Nehra sent back Munron for seven runs in the second over.

Munro stepped out of his crease, tried to smash the ball down the ground but only managed to mis-time his shot to Pandya at mid-off.

India calling the shots early…

New Zealand were rattled early in the first over when Ashwin sent back New Zealand opener Guptill with his second ball.

Although the umpire ruled in favour of the bowler in his lbw plea, replays showed the ball was going over the stumps. Guptill had to leave for six runs from two balls.

New Zealand captain won the toss and decided to bat first given the conditions at Nagpur’s VCA stadium against India led by MS Dhoni in the first game of the Super 10 phase of the ICC WT20 2016.

The Kiwis will begin life without Brendon McCullum, their charismatic skipper. In his absence, Kane Williamson, will lead a team that's packed with talented but underachieving players.

The batting looks settled and the squad has as many as three spinners. Will they go with sheer pace or will they look to spin India out? If pace is their answer, Adam Milne or Mitchell McClenaghan should form a three pronged attack along with Tim Southee and Trent Boult.

India, on the other hand, have gone on record to say they are on "auto-pilot" in the shortest format thanks to the exposure from the IPL. Their top order is perhaps the strongest in the tournament and you would think with Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya lower down, there is enough of a failsafe should things go wrong.

The only reason there may be a change made to India's Asia Cup-winning XI is if Mohammed Shami has impressed the management enough to squeeze in ahead of Ashish Nehra.

India have won 10 out of 11 T20I matches since the start of the year.

In their only meeting in WT20s, New Zealand beat India by 10 runs at Johannesburg in 2007. New Zealand and India have met each other only once during the last seven years in T20Is with New Zealand winning that match at Chennai by 1 run.

The surfaces in use for the qualifiers at Nagpur here have been dry. Balls have stopped on the batsman a bit - even offcutters from the seam bowlers.

India

MS Dhoni (Captain, Wicketkeeper), R Ashwin, JJ Bumrah, S Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, RA Jadeja, V Kohli, Mohammed Shami, P Negi, A Nehra, HH Pandya, AM Rahane, SK Raina, RG Sharma and Yuvraj Singh

New Zealand

KS Williamson (Captain), CJ Anderson, TA Boult, GD Elliott, MJ Guptill, MJ McClenaghan, NL McCullum, AF Milne, C Munro, HM Nicholls, L Ronchi (Wicketkeeper), MJ Santner, IS Sodhi, TG Southee and LRPL Tay