India will look to win their first T20I series when they will face New Zealand in the second T20I at SCA Stadium, Rajkot tomorrow. Team India produced a dominating performance at Delhi as the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan added 158 runs which gave a solid foundation to post a massive total. Virat Kohli scored 26 quickfire runs and help team India score 202 for 3 in 20 overs.
Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma scored 80 runs each. It was a great batting display by the Indian batsmen. The Indian bowling was outstanding with Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel picking 2 wickets each. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Chahal bowled well in the first six overs. New Zealand batsmen scored just 33 runs for the loss of 2 wickets. Ashish Nehra who was playing his last international match did not take a wicket. India won the first match by 53 runs and gave the veteran pacer a fitting farewell.
The match did not go according to plan for New Zealand as they won the toss and invited India to bat first. New Zealand bowlers could not bowl well as they dropped a catch of Shikhar Dhawan which proved costly. Ish Sodhi was the pick of bowlers with the visitors taking 2 wickets for 25 runs. Apart from that the rest of bowlers went for plenty of runs.
The second match will be played at SCA Stadium, Rajkot. With Ashish Nehra retired, Mohammad Siraj or Kuldeep Yadav would get a chance to feature in the playing XI. There might be not a change in the batting order for team India. India produced a dominating performance in the first T20I and has to play with the same intensity in Rajkot.
New Zealand openers Martin Guptill and Collin Munro scored 11 runs. Tom Latham made 39 runs and Captain Kane Williamson scored 28. Mitchell Santer scored 27 in 14 balls but it was not enough for the visitors to challenge the Indian team. Mitchell Santer started the innings. In the first six overs, New Zealand bowlers could not pick any wickets in first six overs. Trent Boult, Tim Southee went for many runs. Ish Sodhi took 2 wickets for 25 runs. New Zealand has to improve in all departments if they have to challenge the Indian team.
India and Australia played the only T20I at this ground in 2013. It was a high scoring match as India chased down the target with 6 wickets remaining. It promises to another batting pitch and hopes to see another great high scoring match.
India Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Shreyas Iyer, Mahendra Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav/Mohammad Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah
New Zealand Probable XI: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Collin de Grandhomme, Tom Bruce, Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santer, Trent Boult, Tim Southee.
