Bowling First Backfires as New Zealand Crumble Against India’s Batting Firepower

New Zealand faced a 48-run loss in the very first match of the five-member T20 series against India at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium. Thus, Team India won the match and achieved a 1-0 lead in the series. It proved to be a wrong decision for the New Zealand captain to opt to bowl first after winning the toss, as India piled up a massive 238 runs on the scoreboard due to blazing contributions from Abhishek Sharma and Rinku Singh. Mitchell Santner stated that the major reason for their loss was the initial loss of the first two wickets.

After the match, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said, "I think you always think ahead; obviously, you want to win the match. We know they have a great record over the last two years. It was a good match for us, but the Indian team played very well."

He praised Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman, but expressed displeasure with Devane Conway and Rachin Ravindra, saying, "I thought GP and Chappy's innings were excellent, especially when you lose two wickets early. I think on good pitches, if you give yourself some time, you can equalize. They put pressure on us with their bowling throughout the innings. There's no chance of trying to bowl a few dot balls against this team; to win, you have to be ready from ball one."

Regarding Mitchell bowling the last over, Santner said, "I think the way the Indian boys put pressure on the spinners, it seemed like the cutters were stopping a bit in the first innings." I think it's always a little difficult for anyone in the last over. He also praised Duffy, telling Harsha not to judge him. He has shown his class for us over the past few years. He has played the role of a senior bowler for us, and it's nice when he swings the ball on top.