| Scores | Upcoming | Results |
Nagpur: Mitchell Santner, Nathan McCullum, and Ish Sodhi combined to take 9 wickets and as New Zealand bundled India out for a shocking 79 in Match 13 of ICC World T20 2016 at Nagpur on Tuesday.
It all started in the first over of India’s chase. Shikhar Dhawan was out LBW to Nathan McCullum off the fifth ball of the chase, missing a sweep shot and getting hit plumb in front. India never recovered after that.
Santner came on to bowl the third over of the innings, and immediately produced the results.
Rohit Sharma, one of India’s in-form batsmen, was done in completely by a peach of a delivery from Santner. Rohit stepped out and missed the delivery, getting stumped for 5 off 7.
A couple of balls later Suresh Raina played with hard hands and offered a simple chance to Martin Guptill at midwicket. India were now 12 for 3 inside 3 overs
A mini-recovery followed, with Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh putting on 14 runs. The fact that it was one of the biggest partnerships of the innings speaks volumes of the sheer ineptitude shown by India.
Yuvraj soon joined the procession, offering a simple return catch to McCullum. He fell for a 5-ball 4, with India now 26 for 4.
MS Dhoni then came in to join Kohli. With two of India’s best chasers in the middle there were still hopes of an Indian victory.
Kohli was the only batsman to look in control of proceedings. He scored a fluent 23 off 27 balls, but was fifth out with India’s score at 39. Kohli was dismissed edging Sodhi to Luke Ronchi. Kohli walked immediately after edging behind while trying to drive.
Hardik Pandya was LBW to Santner for 1 off 7 balls, playing back to one that went on with the arm.
Ravindra Jadeja too played with hard hands, giving a return catch to Sodhi for a 3-ball duck. At 43 for 7 India were in danger of folding up before reaching 50.
Dhoni and Ravichandran Ashwin managed to avoid the embarrassment of India’s lowest-ever T20I score, but could do little beyond that. Ashwin was stumped off Sodhi in the 17th over for 10 off 20 balls. Dhoni fell for a run-a-ball 30 in the 18th over of the innings, holing out to McCullum off Santner, who now had four wickets.
Adam Milne bowled Ashish Nehra for a 4-ball duck as India were bowled out for 79 and lost the opening match by 47 runs.
Earlier, New Zealand's batsmen crumbled under a fired-up Indian bowling attack, posting a modest 126 for seven.
Electing to bat, New Zealand lost early wickets before Corey Anderson steadied the ship, hitting 34 in an uncharacteristically slow knock.
A dramatic first over from off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin saw Martin Guptill smash a six on the very first ball of the match only to lose his wicket in the next, setting the tone for an exciting T20 extravaganza.
The spin-fast combination of Ashwin and Ashish Nehra deployed by captain MS Dhoni worked in India's favour as the Kiwis were left stuttering at 61 for four.
Anderson, whose 42-ball stay included just three boundaries, then stuck around with Ross Taylor and Mitchell Santner to counter the Indian bowlers on what seemed like a slow track.
Red-hot favourites India, determined to become the first team to win the World T20 title twice, never put a foot wrong and backed their bowler's effort with some clean fielding that included two run outs.
In the end, Luke Ronchi's unbeaten 11-ball 21 gave some respect to the total but the Kiwis will need a Herculean task from their fielders and bowlers to defend what seems like a below-par score.
Brief scores
New Zealand - 126 for 7 (Anderson 34)
India - 79 (Dhoni 30, Santner 4-11, Sodhi 3-18, McCullum 2-15)
Result - New Zealand won by 47 runs
Points - New Zealand 2, India 0
MOM - Mitchell Santner (New Zealand)
