In the tightly scheduled tour of New Zealand, the Indian players didn’t get any time to get used to the conditions of New Zealand. Even speedster Navdeep Saini couldn’t play the first match due to Jet lag. At Eden Park, Auckland, it was quite clear that small boundaries would set up a big score and sixes-fours would rain at this venue. With that being said, Shreyas Iyer took complete advantage of these conditions.
Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bowl to take advantage of the strong point of the Indian team, which is chasing. The Kiwi openers give a flashy start. They took a lot of runs in the initial overs of Mohammed Shami and Shardul Thakur to reach a total of fifty in just five overs. They made a partnership of 80 runs off only 47 balls.
At last in the eighth over, Shivam Dube got the wicket of Martin Guptil. Still, runs were flowing from the bats of opener Colin Munro and Kane Williamson. Yuzvendra Chahal and Shivam Dube put the break on the scoring of the Blacks Caps. Thakur got the wicket of Williamson and Chahal got rid of Munro. Munro scored 59 runs off 42 balls comprising of six boundaries and two sixes. Skipper Williamon smashed 51 runs off only 27 balls with the help of four boundaries and four flat sixes. Jadeja picked the wicket of Colin De Grandhomme on a duck. Ross Taylor reached a total of Kiwi team above 200.
Jasprit Bumrah gave only four runs in 18th over to keep New Zealand below the score of 220. He took the wicket of wicket-keeper Tim Seifert on one. The Blackcaps could score only 203 runs in 20 overs at the loss of five wickets.
Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Lokesh Rahul started the chase of 204 with solidarity. Rahul looked fluent as he is in the form of his life, while Rohit mistimed one shot to get out on seven. Skipper Virat Kohli joined KL Rahul in the middle. Both played fluently to take Indian team to the score of 115. Rahul looked unstoppable but he mistimed one delivery of Ish Sodhi to get out on 56. He scored 56 runs off just 27 balls comprising of four boundaries and three sixes. Kohli got out to a stunning catch by Guptill on 45. He scored 45 runs off 32 balls comprising of three fours and one six. Shreyas Iyer took the responsibility on his shoulders to take the Indian team home.
Shivam Dube was sent ahead of Manish Pandey but he couldn’t do much damage except one humongous six and a superb boundary. Manish joined Iyer at the crease eventually. Iyer played some stunning shots to take the Indian team near the target. He won the game comfortably for his side, by hitting a massive six in the 19th over. He finished with the score of 58 off just 29 balls, consisting of five boundaries and three sixes. He looked unstoppable in this innings and he solidified his position at number four.
Keeping that in mind, Shreyas Iyer was awarded Player of the Match award for his match-winning innings.
Brief Scores: NZ 203-5 (20 Overs Colin Munro 59, Ross Taylor 54, Kane Williamson 52, R Jadeja 18-1)
Ind 204-4 (19 Overs, S Iyer 58, KL Rahul 56, Ish Sodhi 36/2)
