India vs New Zealand, 1st T20I: Colin Munro, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor Fifties Take New Zealand to 203/5

Sports News Today January 24: After Martin Guptill and Colin Munro's blistering start, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson maintained the tempo, helping New Zealand to 203/5.

New Zealand posted a formidable 203/5 riding on half-centuries from opener Colin Munro (59), skipper Kane Williamson (51) and Ross Taylor (54*) in the 1st T20I of the five-match series at Eden Park, Auckland on Friday.

Blistering Start

After NZ were put in to bat, Guptill and Munro got off to blistering start adding 80 runs for the opening wicket in 7.5 overs. Both utilised the pace on the wicket and the short boundaries, hitting eight fours and three sixes in their partnership. Guptill made 30 off just 29 balls before falling to Shivam Dube courtesy a replay catch at midwicket boundary by Rohit Sharma. With the platform laid, Munro was joined by skipper Kane Williamson in the middle, who also got off to a flier with a six of Dube over extra cover.

India Pull Things Back

But, India pulled things back courtesy a tidy spell of bowling from Ravindra Jadeja. After Williamson had taken Shardul Thakur to two sixes, he got Munro for 59 off 42 balls in the 12th over. Jadeja, introduced immediately after, got rid of the big-hitting Colin de Grandhomme for a two-ball duck. Jadeja’s first ten deliveries went for just seven singles, as India brought the run-rate down.

Taylor, Williamson Explode

But, Ross Taylor, after getting a few sighters from Jadeja, plonked the left-arm spinner for a four and a six. This came after Williamson hit a six off Dube over deep midwicket, with Yuzvendra Chahal misjudging the catch in the deep. Mohammad Shami’s third over was then taken for 22 runs with Williamson helping himself to a four and Taylor smacking a couple of sixes over the cow corner and a four. Chahal’s next over yielded 13 runs with Williamson hitting him for three fours. But, the NZ skipper perished in the same over. Tim Siefret fell to Bumrah in the 18th over, that went for just four runs. Taylor brought up his first T20I fifty in six years taking the NZ total past the 200-run mark. He remained unbeaten on 54 off just 27 balls, hitting at a strike-rate of exactly 200.

For India, Chahal, Dube, Jadeja, Thakur and Bumrah took one wicket each, but it was a forgettable day for Shami, who gave away 44 runs in his three overs and remained wicketless.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 203/5 (Colin Munro 59, Ross Taylor 54; Kane Williamson 51; Ravindra Jadeja 1/18) vs India