No sooner had New Zealand finally found a breather, seeing India’s batsmen slap them all over the ground to put together the imposing 239-run target, than they were in the line of fire once again.
Abhishek Sharma (84 runs from 35 balls) and Rinku Singh (44 runs from 20 balls) had flexed their muscles at either end of the first innings and sent the Kiwis on the back foot. By the second ball of the run chase, Arsdheep Singh looped a vicious out-swinger to see Devon Conway caught behind. A few balls later, a sticky length ball from Hardik Pandya caught Rachin Ravindra’s edge and sent him back into the hut.
India’s mystery-spinning trump card, Varun Chakravarthy, arrived for his first over after the powerplay and sent Tim Robinson packing, thus beginning New Zealand’s slow march to an inevitable heavy defeat here on Wednesday. Glenn Phillips 40-ball 78 would go in vain as the Kiwis buckled under the pressure of the scoreboard to hand the hosts a comfortable 48-run victory.
With the second half of the run-chase playing out with a foregone conclusion, the impressive-as-ever number of Nagpur locals, who showed up for this weekday game while finding their way to and from a stadium that is 30km away from the city centre, may not have got their full money’s worth. But there is a reason most of them stayed till the end. They got to see India put a bow on an impressive all-round performance to win the opener of this five-match T20 series against a team that had become a bit of a thorn in their side after coming here and winning a first Test and ODI series in the last 18 months.
A commanding performance! 🔝#TeamIndia win by 4⃣8⃣ runs in Nagpur to take a 1⃣-0⃣ lead in the 5-match T20I series 👏
This was an impressive show of strength. The depth and flexibility of their batting allowed the big total, but India’s bowling was equally variegated here; as many as seven of them took the ball, with skipper Suryakumar Yadav having an enviable amount of options to break partnerships and quell momentum at different points of the chase. This was on the rare occasion when Jasprit Bumrah had an off day. There are not many better ways to kickstart preparations for a home World Cup.
Top-bottom heavy
The first innings saw India put up an hourglass-shaped batting performance: heavy at the top and bottom but curiously slender through the middle. Abhishek was unquestionably the pick of the bunch among their batters; his imperious strokeplay to both pace and spin could find no match from either lineup. But Rinku’s finishing touch deserves a mention, the 21-run final over, inclusive of two huge sixes against Daryl Mitchell, took India’s first innings total from solid to staggering.
In between them, however, the picture did become a bit murky. India would justify that their batting template of attacking throughout an innings, thanks to the luxury their depth affords them, does not give them the time to stop and assess the conditions. But outside of Abhishek, their top order found it impressively tough to get going in conditions that did not outrightly aid them, with the ball gripping into the pitch and staying low at times.
Skipper Suryakumar had been in dire form and needed an impressive showing to ease some of the pressure here. His 22-ball 32 may be the best total in his last 11 outings, but was hardly a vintage showing. He was often lucky with a couple of mishits and rode Abhishek’s coattails. Early on, Sanju Samson committed to a short length after heaving two on the leg side, leaving himself planted on the back foot to a full ball that he instinctively flicked to midwicket. A length ball crept up on the returning Ishan Kishan, who charged pre-meditatively and handed his wicket. A similar slower length ball foxed Shivam Dube. All of them seemed to be ill at ease with the surface.
It was, in fact, Pandya’s dominance of Kiwis’ skipper Mitchell Santner that ensured a heady total. Once Dube had fallen, conventional wisdom may have suggested avoiding an outright collapse and biding one’s time at the crease, but Pandya took the off-spinner on with two fours and a six to set the template. Rinku provided the flourishing finish.
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A big total and a comfortable win are certainly vindication of their batting performance and philosophy. Questions may persist about the form of some of their batters and the wisdom of their decision-making going into the World Cup next month, but they will find few takers on this pleasant evening where everything fell into place for the hosts.
Brief Scores: India 238/7 in 20 overs (Abhishek Sharma 84, Rinku Singh 44; Jacob Duffy 2/27) beat New Zealand 190/7 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 78, Mark Chapman 38; Shivam Dube 2/28).
Namit Kumar is a Senior Sports Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. He is known for his versatile reporting across several major sports disciplines.
Professional Profile
Specializations: He covers a wide variety of sports including tennis, football, cricket, and motorsports.
Focus: His writing often delves into the finer details and technical analysis of the sports he covers.
Social Media: You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @namitkumar_17.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Namit’s recent work focuses heavily on international cricket series and domestic tournaments, as well as high-profile global tennis events:
International Cricket (India vs South Africa Series):
"Intelligence, skill, and heart: How Arshdeep Singh took out Reeza Hendricks" (Dec 15, 2025) — A detailed analysis of Arshdeep's tactical comeback in the T20I series.
"How India's seamers froze South Africa in chilly Dharamshala" (Dec 14, 2025).
"Why India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill losing form, is the start of a blunt headache" (Dec 12, 2025) — An analytical piece on the statistics and form of India's leadership duo.
"Quinton de Kock dismantles Indian bowling combination with silent savagery" (Dec 11, 2025).
Domestic Cricket (Ranji Trophy):
"Ranji Trophy: J&K conquer Kotla and Delhi for first time" (Nov 11, 2025) — Reporting on the historic first win for Jammu & Kashmir over Delhi in the tournament's history.
"What makes J&K pacer Auqib Nabi special" (Nov 8, 2025) — A profile on the pacer's accuracy and swing.
"Unearthing the next Virat Kohli still a while away but Delhi's young batting talent full of promise" (Oct 24, 2025).
Tennis and Golf:
"Jannik Sinner's winter-time madness: How Italian refined his game to beat Alcaraz" (Nov 17, 2025) — A deep dive into Sinner’s technical improvements following his US Open loss.
"Everyone's come to watch Rory McIlroy but keep an eye out for 'people's champion' Tommy Fleetwood" (Oct 17, 2025).
Football Tactics:
"Why are long throw-ins giving football defenders and lawmakers a headache?" (Nov 2, 2025) — An analytical piece on the evolving strategies surrounding throw-ins in modern football.
Reporting Style
Namit is active in covering the Delhi sports scene, providing detailed match reports for international cricket matches and Ranji Trophy fixtures at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. He also provides on-the-ground reporting for happenings in the city, such as his recent coverage of the DP World India Championship golf event. Additionally, he actively writes on tennis, analysing matches and reporting on major events, especially during the Grand Slam tournaments. ... Read More
