IND vs NZ, 1st T20I Highlights: Sundar 50 in vain as New Zealand beats India by 21 runs

Ferguson to bowl the final over. Sundar gets to his half century in style with a SIX! WIDE down the legside. WICKET! Short delivery and Sundar lofts it straight to Duffy. Umran Malik is in. Final delivery, he swings, it takes an outside edge and races away towards the boundary. THAT IS IT! New Zealand has won the match by 21 runs! Read the full match report - HERE

Duffy is back. Sundar greets him with a SIX right from the get go. Width offered and Sundar smashes a FOUR through extra cover. Consecutive FOURS! Sundar is now 43 from just 21 balls. WIDE. Duffy comes up with a slower one, Sundar struggles, no run. WIDE yet again. Dot to finish. India needs 33 more to win, Sundar will take strike

Santner turns towards Ferguson. WICKET! Short ball first up, Kuldeep kicks it as Conway gloves it comfortably. Arshdeep joins Sundar. WICKET MAIDEN

Tickner is brought back in. WICKET! Santner is everywhere as he runs out Mavi this time at the non-striker’s end. Sundar lofts it through midwicket for a FOUR! Short this time and Sundar hooks it for a SIX! 12 runs and a wicket from that over

Santner is back into the attack, replaces Ferguson. WICKET! Wide outside off, Hooda swings and misses, Conway knocks out the bails, brilliant glove work. Mavi is in at 8. Five runs and wicket.

Bracewell continues. Sundar gets a single and it bring up India’s 100. Slightly fuller, Hooda slogs it but it takes a top edge, Chapman runs towards it to complete the catch but drops it, Hooda stays. SIX! Making the maximum use of his second life, Hooda smashes a maximum over long-on. 11 from that over

Ferguson into the mix. Single to start off. WIDE down the legside. Tries to attack the pads but Sundar flicks it for a FOUR! Short delivery, Sundar mishits it, Conway and Sodhi converge to catch the ball but both of them drop it, Sundar gets a reprieve. Nine runs off that over

Bracewell comes in to bowl. WICKET! Short ball, Hardik slashes but it takes a top edge, Bracewell completes the catch. India in trouble again. Two runs and a wicket from that over

Sodhi is back into the attack. Full outside off and Surya plays an inside-out for a SIX! WICKET! A wrong’un and SKY tries to attack against the turn, he chips it over the infield but lands directly into Allen’s hands. Washington Sundar is in at 5. Off the mark in some style, he reverse sweeps sodhi for a FOUR! 13 runs and a wicket from that over

Skipper Santner is back. India needs 103 from 60 deliveries. Just one run conceded from that over

Blair Tickner is introduced. Short and wide, Suryakumar latches on to it and slaps it through extra covers for FOUR! FOUR yet again, SKY shows his class, deliberately chips a short ball through a couple of fielders. Dot to finish. 11 runs off that over. DRINKS

Sodhi is back. Strong shout for LBW, umpire stays silent and Santner opts for DRS. Replay shows pitching outside off and impact is umpire’s call, decision stays. Sodhi tries to attack SKY on the pads but the batter sweeps it for a FOUR as he beats the short fine leg! Slightly short of a length and SKY capitalises, slog sweeps it for a FOUR! 11 runs from that over

Bracewell comes back to bowl. Hardik and Surya look to take things slowly, getting singles and doubles. Short of a length outside off and Hardik slogs it to a SIX over long on! A single to follow and with that 50 comes up for India. WIDE down the legside. Single to end the over. 13 came from it

Ish Sodhi is in, replaces Ferguson. Couple of singles to start off with. Just six off that over

Santner to Suryakumar. SKY looks to go the ariel route and tries for a scoop but misses it completely, lucky. WHAT AN OVER! Maiden to complete the powerplay.

Lockie Ferguson into the attack. Through the leg side and SKY plays his trademark pick-up shot through the short fine leg for a SIX! WIDE down the leg side. Slightly outside off and Hardik plays a wonderful shot through the covers for FOUR! 13 off the over

Bracewell taken off, Santner is into the attack. WICKET straightaway! Gill checks his shot in the last moment and mishits it to Allen who grabs it without fuss. Massive setback for India, brave move from the Kiwi captain and it has paid off big time. FOUR! Surya on song, huge turn and SKY chips it past short third man. Dot to complete. Five runs and a wicket

Duffy continues. WICKET! Tripathi makes the walk back, width offered and Tripathi slashed at the ball but missed, huge appeal from the keeper but the umpire is unmoved, Santner opts for DRS and the replay showed clear bat involvement. Some relief as Surya is off the mark with a FOUR. Just five runs and a wicket off that over

Bracewell into the attack now. Just a bit wide, Gill makes space and smacks it for a FOUR through covers. WICKET! Beaten all ends up, Kishan falls. Just 5 from that over and a wicket.

Duffy opens with the ball. Starts with a dot. India off the mark as Gil steals a quick single. Room offered and Kishan just guides it past the slip cordon for a FOUR! Five from that over

Shubman GIll and Ishan Kishan are the opening pair for India. Duffy to start with the ball.

Arshdeep to bowl the final over. SIX! Arshdeep misses his yorker yet again, Mitchell smashes him over long-on for a maximum, adding insult to injury, NO BALL CALLED for overstepping. Free-hit, slower short ball and Mitchell goes deep into the crease and goes ariel for another SIX! Yorker missed yet again and Mitchell gets to his 50 in style with a SIX and it comes off just 26 balls. Arshdeep aims for a wide yorker but misses yet again as Mitchell is standing deep in his crease, lower full toss and it is a FOUR. Turning out to be a very costly over. Good final three deliveries. 27 runs came off that over, will this be a game-changer?

Mavi is back, replaces Hardik. High full toss but Mitchell fails to capitalise, just a single. Mavi opts for a bouncer, Santner slashes hard at it and it takes a top edge and races away for a FOUR! Bouncer yet againt and this time it is a WICKET! Santner tries to hook it but edges it to Rahul Tripathi. Eight runs and a wicket off that over

Arshdeep is back. WICKET! Arshdeep takes the pace off the ball and Conway attempted to clear long-on but hit it straight to a diving Hooda. WICKET! Bracewell looked to sneak in a leg bye but Kishan runs him out with a direct hit! Just two from the over and 2 wickets

Hardik back into the attack. Mitchell welcomes him with a massive SIX over long-on. Four singles to follow. Width offered and Mitchell takes the ariel route yet again, SIX. 16 from that over

Sundar is back, replaces Mavi. Mitchell is trapped leg before, umpire is unmoved and Hardik decides to go for DRS yet again. Replay shows the ball clipping the bails and the decision stands, umpire’s call. Conway gets a single and reaches his half century, a well constructed one too. Seven off that over

Kuldeep to complete his quota. Strong appeal for a bat pad catch off Mitchell and Hardik opts for DRS. Replay shows nothing and Mitchell is safe for now. Just 2 runs from that over

Mavi into the attack. Two dots to start. Length ball and Mitchell smacks it for a FOUR through long on. FOUR again, wide outside off and it takes an inside edge off Mitchell’s bat and races towards the boundary, unlucky. 11 runs came from that over

Kuldeep bowling his third over here. Two singles off the first 2 deliveries. FOUR! Conway steps down against the turn and dispatches it to the boundary through mid-on. WICKET! KULDEEP STRIKES! Makes Phillips play with a wrong’un and the batter miscues it straight to SKY. Daryl Mitchell joins Conway. Eight runs and a wicket

Hooda back into the mix, replaces Hardik. Phillips starts with a single. Short of a length and Conway sweeps it for a FOUR! Wide outside off and Allen cuts it for a FOUR! And that brings up the 50 partnership for Conway-Phillips. 10 from that over

Kuldeep continues. FOUR! Kuldeep bowls to the pads and Conway sweeps it for a FOUR through deep square leg. Good over except for that boundary, just 7 runs off it

Hardik is back, replaces Umran. Starts of with a cutter, one leg bye. MS Dhoni and Sakshi are there on the stands. He waves at the fans and the crowd roars! Tidy over this from the skipper, six from it

Kuldeep is back into the attack, replaces Sundar. A couple of singles to start. Make it three. Three dots to complete. Just 3 from the over

Umran Malik is into the attack, replaces Hooda. Phillips takes a quick single. Two consecutive FOURS! Conway is in good touch, carrying his form from the previous ODI. Bowls to Conway’s pads and he smokes it for a SIX with a flick of the wrist! Proving to be a very costly over this. Single to finish. 16 came from that over

Sundar continues. Chooses to go a bit wide, no run, defended on the back foot. Single to follow. Some pressure off the shoulders as Conway reverse sweeps it for a FOUR! Two singles to finish. Seven from that over

Deepak Hooda is into the attack now, replaces Arshdeep. Just four singles from that over.

Sundar resumes. This is mediocre from Sundar, right in the arc and Allen dispatches it for a SIX. WICKET! Allen goes again with a similar slog but the ball goes directly into the hands of Suryakumar at midwicket! Perfectly setup. Two dots to follow. WICKET!! Slower through the air, Chapman checks his shot and Sundar dives full length to complete an extraordinary catch! Six runs and two crucial wickets in the over!

Arshdeep continues. Wide length ball and Allen flat bats it for a massive SIX, pressure straightaway. Takes the pace off next ball and it is a dot. High bouncer, Allen tries to hook it but fails, one for the over and a dot. Wide outside off, Allen slashes but it takes a thick edge and goes over third man for a FOUR. Single to finish. 11 from the over

Washington Sundar is asked to bowl the next, he replaces Hardik. First ball spins quite a bit and it is a dot. Good turn yet again, no run. Sundar gives a bit of room for Allen, he punches it away and the ball stayed in the air for a while but lands safely. Allen rotates strike finally, first runs off the over. Sundar to Conway, bowls to his legs and Conway pushes for a single, brilliant bit of fielding from Mavi. Single to end. Just 3 from the over

Arshdeep Singh is into the attack. Starts off with a dot. Short and WIDE, one for the over. Through the legside and it clips Allen’s pads and goes to Kishan, no run. Arshdeep tries for a yorker but fails, full-toss and Allen capitalises as he smashes it to the straight boundary for a FOUR! Conway is finally on the other side as Allen takes a single. Wide outside off and Conway is off the mark with a stylish FOUR through extra cover. Dot to end the over. 9 runs from it

Pandya to Allen. Width on offer, Allen tries to exploit the cover region but hits it directly to the fielder. WIDE down the leg,faint appeal from Kishan but Anil Choudhary says otherwise. Dot to follow. Full and wide, Allen chops it over the infield for a couple of runs, Allen off the mark with that. FOUR! Allen chooses to go over mid-off this time. Consecutive fours, this time it is a bit straighter, through mid-on. Single to finish and Allen will keep strike. 12 from that over

Finn Allen and Devon Conway will open for New Zealand while skipper Hardik Pandya will bowl the first over

The players make their way into the middle and now it’s tme for the national athem. New Zealand’s anthem is up first

India leads the tie with 3 wins. One match abandoned while one ended in a tie

India: Shubhman Gill , Ishan Kishan ( WK ) , Rahul Tripathi , Surya Kumar Yadav , Deepak Hooda , Hardik Pandya ( C ) , Sundar , Kuldeep , Shivam Mavi , Arshdeep Singh , Umran Malik

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway(wk), Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner(c), Michael Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner

With an even covering of grass, seamers will get the much needed assistance early on, with dew playing a crucial role. The dimensions are fairly short with 60m square and 70m straight boundaries. An even match-up on the cards

Skipper Hardik has won the toss and has asked Santner’s side to bat first

Wicketkeepers: Devon Conway, Ishan Kishan

Batters: Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill, Glenn Phillips

All-rounders: Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell, Hardik Pandya

Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

Team Composition: NZ 7:4 IND Credits Left: 9.5

Skipper Hardik Pandya stated that Prithvi Shaw will have to wait for his chance to feature in India’s playing eleven, given that fellow opener Shubman Gill is among the runs. READ MORE

The first T20I between India and New Zealand will be aired LIVE on the Star Sports Network and can be live streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.

• India: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw, and Mukesh Kumar.

• New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (Captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Lister, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rippon, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, and Blair Tickner.

When: Friday, January 27 at 7:00 PM IST (Toss at 6:30pm IST)

Where: JSCA International stadium in Ranchi

Catch the HIGHLIGHTS here

Mahendra Singh Dhoni visited the JSCA International Stadium on Thursday to meet the Indian team. Read the full story HERE

New Zealand, after a 0-3 loss in the ODIs, will be desperate for some respite in the three-match T20I leg which commences with the first outing at the JSCA International Stadium Complex here on Friday.

But given India’s stellar home record in T20Is, New Zealand’s dry run could well continue.

India has won 10 and drawn two of the last 12 bi-lateral T20I bouts played in this country, with the last series loss dating back to February 2019 (against Australia).

It also came out on top in the three-match T20I leg when the side toured New Zealand in November last year.

India has made significant personnel changes from the squad that stayed unbeaten in the ODIs. Rohit Sharma misses out, so does Virat Kohli. Hardik Pandya, who led the unit in the T20Is against Sri Lanka earlier this month, will continue as captain.

Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami - the best pacers on view in the ODIs - make way for Arshdeep Singh, Shivam Mavi and uncapped Mukesh Kumar.

Mumbai batter Prithvi Shaw makes his comeback to international cricket, on the back of a great run in domestic cricket. Shaw could open the batting with Shubman Gill - the standout performer in the preceding leg. Gill, with scores of 208 and 112 in the first and third ODIs respectively, is all set to make a mark in the shortest format.

Suryakumar Yadav had a disappointing run in the ODIs, but New Zealand will be aware that it is in T20Is that he truly excels. Suryakumar, numero uno in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, has set the bar high with his range of unorthodox, fearless shots.

Ishan Kishan, who managed only 30 runs in the three ODIs, must get his act together.

Vidarbha cricketer Jitesh Sharma, who replaced an injured Sanju Samson in the Sri Lanka T20Is, could find a spot as wicketkeeper-batter if Kishan is dropped.

Batter Rituraj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the three T20Is due to a wrist injury, it was announced here on Thursday. No replacement will be named for Gaikwad.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav has enjoyed a resurgence in India colours. After a while in the wilderness, Kuldeep has recently proved his worth in 50-over cricket. Kuldeep last played a T20I in August last year, and will be eager to hit the ground running in his return to this format.

New Zealand will be led by all-rounder Mitchell Santner. Left-arm fast bowler Ben Lister, who did well in the Super Smash, is in line to earn his maiden international cap.

“We’ve seen a lot of Lister over the last couple of years. He has grown tremendously as a bowler. His left-arm angle which swings away from the right-hander is something new and different. He’s also been bowling pretty good wheels,” Santner said in a press conference here on Thursday.

-Ashwin Achal