India delivered a clinical performance in their series opener against New Zealand on Wednesday. Abhishek Sharma's blitz ensured that India put on a giant 237 batting first in Nagpur. New Zealand were never in the chase despite best efforts from Glenn Phillips, who scored 78. The Men in Blue won by 48 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the serie
Batting first India lost both Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan early in the powerplay. That had no bearing on Abhishek Sharma, who put on a show of six hitting in Nagpur. With captain Suryakumar Yadav for company, Sharma smoked a 22-ball half-century to keep India on top.
Suryakumar Yadav played anchor but departed soon after the halfway mark. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube played some attacking shots to keep the rate up. However it was Rinku Singh's telling contribution that took India past 230.
In a rare opportunity for the UP star, Rinku accepted whole heartedly. He smashed 44 off just 20 balls with 2 sixes in the final over.
New Zealand never were in the chase with Arshdeep Singh striking in the first over of the chase. Devon Conway was dismissed for a 2-ball duck, while Rachin Ravindra only managed 1. Tum Robinson got a start and could not convert. The Kiwis scored 50 in the powerplay, while India scored 68 in the same period.
