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Christchurch: New Zealand started the tour with a bang as the hosts cruised to a comprehensive seven wicket victory over India in the first T20 match of the series.
Brendon McCullum’s half centurion stand proved to India’s nemesis as he ensured a win to start the tour on a good note for his team. He was given apt support by Jacob Oram who milked the bowlers for runs that ultimately led to the fall of the T20 World Champions in their first outing in the Kiwi land.
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The Kiwi batsmen had adopted a contrasting game-plan as they kept the wickets intact in the major part of the game, only punishing the odd ball rather than going in for the kill right from the word go.
Wickets here, wickets there, wickets everywhere…The Indian T20 armada began in a typical dynamic T20 fashion as the visitors managed to score 162/8 with the big names failing to register in the tour opener.
The thriller of a match saw the fortunes swinging either ways before the onus finally wrested in the favour of the hosts.
Even the Indian captain MS Dhoni rued his batsmen’s inability to hold on to their wicket and said that the rash display would hopefully not be repeated. He was all praise for the bowlers who tried hard despite not having a large total to defend keeping the T20 format in mind.
# Brendon McCullum was adjudged the Man of the Match
The Indian bowlers did maintain a healthy rhythm in testing times and in the battle of nerves, gave the upper hand to the hosts. The key was to pick up a wicket just when the batsmen started to get loose and it could not be followed in the death overs.
Martin Guptill hit some spanking shots across the ground to keep the scoreboard turning at a favourable pace. It was Harbhajan Singh who got the desired breakthrough by claiming the batsman for 41 runs.
The Indian bowlers had started their tour with a disciplined show in the initial overs before losing it all completely in the middle and end as Ishant Sharma picked up the wicket of Jesse Ryder with his first delivery. It was an effort that could not be sustained as the batsmen adapted to his line and length of the first spell and clubbed him over the boundary ropes on a few occasions.
The lone Indian warrior of the day was Suresh Raina, who hit a cracking unbeaten 61 from just 43 balls. The last partnership between Harbhajan and Raina proved to be quite destructive for the hosts as Bhajji’s 21 run cameo ensured that India posted a challenging total.
It was a ‘bang-bang and out!’ strategy that prevailed as most of the willow wielders managed a few gargantuan hits before being almost immediately dismissed by the New Zealand bowlers who adapted quickly.
Sehwag had started his New Zealand tour with three successive thunderous sixes, sending a clear message to the hosts that he would take the charge to them. However, the dream run ended soon as Iain O`Brien struck gold for his team by claiming his prized scalp. The ripping fast delivery went through the defence gates of Sehwag who was trying to smash another six and resulted in his dismissal at 26 runs from a mere ten balls.
His opening partner, Gautam Gambhir was not as imposing, as his middle stump was uprooted by O`Brien’s spearing fast delivery at a score of six runs.
# The most unusual of dismissals was witnessed by the Christchurch crowd as Jacob Oram plucked a fast disappearing ball from just inside the boundary ropes, hurled it high as he was going to go across the boundary, came back in before the ball landed and completed the catch to dismiss Yusuf Pathan after he had smashed three successive sixes; another Sehwag like performance came to an end.
Even the in-form skipper MS Dhoni could not manage to stop the onslaught as he was clean bowled by Ian Butler. The bowler had also come into the act to get Rohit Sharma caught by McCullum at a score of seven runs.
The famed Indian batting bit dust at Christchurch with the gritty display of some disciplined bowling, the hosts came out with their homework done and indeed got the results to a certain degree.
Daniel Vettori had chipped into the action by getting the danger man of the T20 format, Yuvraj Singh, out for a mere run. The batsman was adjudged LBW as a clever delivery got him plumb in front of the wicket, a slight lapse of concentration brought his fall after the hosts chose to field first.
