India started the five match T20I series against New Zealand with a four wicket win in Christchurch. Chasing 226, India reached 230/6 in 19.4 overs to register their highest successful run chase in T20I cricket.
Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer and Naman Dhir played key roles, but India’s fielding and team combination also raised questions.
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju gave India a flying start, adding 93 runs for the first wicket in just 5.5 overs.
Abhishek scored 29 off 12 balls, while Sanju smashed 67 off 33 deliveries, hitting eight fours and four sixes. Despite, after Sanju’s dismissal, Tilak Varma and Ishan Kishan failed to make an impact, scoring six and one run respectively.
Sending Tilak at No. 3 also raised questions. He looked uncomfortable at the position, and India could consider using him lower down the order, where he has more time to settle into his role. Axar Patel scored 24 off 14 balls, but India still needed a strong finish.
Shreyas Iyer kept the chase alive with 42 off 28 balls before Naman Dhir took control at the death. Naman remained unbeaten on 42 off just 15 deliveries, hitting five fours and two sixes.
His six in the final over sealed the win and showed why he could become an important option in India’s white ball setup.
Despite, India’s batting heroics should not hide the problems elsewhere. Their fielding and catching need serious improvement, while the bowling combination also deserves attention.
If India continue to leave out a specialist spinner such as Varun Chakravarthy or Kuldeep Yadav, they could struggle to contain opposition teams on high scoring pitches. The win gives India a 1-0 lead, but the team still has questions to answer before the next T20I.
