Suryakumar Yadav scored a sparkling 62 as India defeated New Zealand by five wickets in the first T20 international at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday.
After being asked to bat first by new T-20 skipper Rohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar got India off to a perfect start by dismissing Daryl Mitchell, bowled by a brilliant inswinger for a golden duck.
The pair of Martin Guptill along with Mark Chapman featured in an 109 run stand for the second wicket. However Ravi Ashwin pegged New Zealand back- first by dismissing the latter bowled for 63 and then trapping Glenn Phillips leg before wicket in the 14th over.
Guptill after scoring a brilliant 70, was caught at deep midwicket boundary by Shreyas Iyer off Deepak Chahar. His knock came off just 42 balls with 3 fours and 4 sixes.
Tim Seifert (12) and Rachin Ravindra (7) perished to Bhuvneshwar and Mohammed Siraj as New Zealand ended up with 164/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
For India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and R Ashwin claimed 2 wickets each, while Chahar and Siraj claimed a solitary wicket.
Chasing 165, Indian openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul got their side off to a fantastic start. The duo added 50 runs for the opening stand before Mitchell Santner provided the much needed breakthrough by dismissing Rahul (15) caught at deep square leg boundary by Chapman.
Rohit was involved in yet another 59 run stand for the second wicket along side Suryakumar Yadav before the former fell two run short of a well deserved half century.
Suryakumar reached his fifty by smashing Lockie Ferguson for a six over backward square.
However Yadav’s fine knock of 62 ended after he missed an attempted sweep and was bowled by Boult.
Quick wickets of Shreyas Iyer (5) and Venkatesh Iyer (4) saw the hosts needing ten runs off the final over.
Rishabh Pant (17)* held his nerve and smashed Daryl Mitchell for a boundary to take the hosts past the finishing line.
Suryakumar Yadav was declared the Man of the Match.