Samson, Dhir star as India chase down 226 to beat New Zealand
Christchurch, Oct 22 (UNI) Sanju Samson's blistering 67 and Naman Dhir's unbeaten 42 off 15 balls powered India to a thrilling four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the opening T20 International here on Thursday, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead in the series.
India chased down New Zealand's imposing target of 226, reaching 230 for six in 19.4 overs at Hagley Oval, with Dhir sealing the victory by hitting Matt Henry for a six in the final over. Earlier, New Zealand posted 225 for four in their allotted 20 overs, riding on an unbeaten 82 by Glenn Phillips, who spearheaded an aggressive batting display after India elected to bowl. The hosts made a flying start through openers Tim Seifert and Finn Allen, who put on 49 runs in 30 balls before Mayank Yadav dismissed Seifert for 24 off 17 deliveries. Seifert struck three fours and a six, setting the tone with an attacking approach. Allen continued the assault, scoring 45 off 24 balls, including five fours and two sixes. He took on the Indian bowlers with a flurry of boundaries, helping New Zealand reach 65 without loss in the powerplay.
Axar Patel eventually ended his innings in the eighth over, with Tilak Varma taking the catch at long-off to leave the hosts at 80 for two. Daryl Mitchell maintained the momentum with 28 off 19 balls, hitting two fours and a six. He joined Phillips in a partnership that added 42 runs off 27 deliveries before Arshdeep Singh dismissed him in the 13th over. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the catch at short third man, reducing New Zealand to 122 for three.
Phillips then took centre stage, combining power with calculated strokeplay to keep the scoring rate high. He reached his half-century off 30 balls and accelerated further in the closing overs, striking eight fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 40-ball innings at a strike rate of 205. Bevon Jacobs provided valuable support with a brisk 31 off 16 balls, including three sixes. The pair added 73 runs off 32 deliveries for the fourth wicket, putting India's bowling attack under sustained pressure. Jacobs was run out for 31 in the 18th over after attempting a quick single, with Arshdeep Singh involved in the dismissal.
Phillips continued to attack, taking advantage of loose deliveries to find the boundary regularly. He and Michael Bracewell, who remained unbeaten on seven, added 30 runs off 15 balls to propel New Zealand past 220. Phillips finished the innings in style with a switch-hit boundary off Bhuvneshwar Kumar's final delivery. India struggled to contain the scoring, with all five bowlers conceding at least 40 runs.
Axar Patel was the most expensive, giving away 51 runs in four overs, while Bhuvneshwar conceded 49 without taking a wicket. Arshdeep, Mayank and Nitish Kumar Reddy claimed one wicket each, with Arshdeep conceding 45 runs and Mayank 40. In reply, Samson smashed eight fours and four sixes in his 33-ball knock, while Abhishek Sharma contributed 29 off 12 balls as India raced to 94 in the powerplay. Their 93-run opening stand laid the foundation for the chase.
New Zealand fought back through Michael Bracewell and captain Mitchell Santner, who took two wickets each, reducing India from 93 without loss to 122 for four. Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel then revived the chase with a 45-run partnership before Axar fell to Lockie Ferguson for 24. Iyer scored 42 off 28 balls but was dismissed by Adam Milne in the 19th over. Dhir subsequently took charge, striking boundaries under pressure before finishing the contest with a six off Henry. India completed the highest successful chase of the match with two balls to spare, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
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