Indian cricket team lost the first twenty20 match against New Zealand by 9 runs at Lord’s on Monday. Overall performance of the defending champions was not bad, but Dhoni’s men lost the game in the last five over. However, it would not be fair to give the due credit to the New Zealand bowlers, especially Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram, who restricted Indian batsmen to play big shots in the dead overs.
Dhoni sent New Zealand to bat first after winning the toss and New Zealand put on 170 runs thanks to Ross Taylor’s 33-ball 41 and James Franklin’s 27 from just 10 balls. Scott Styris also scored 29 runs off 19 balls in the middle overs. However, it was wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum who brought a good start for the Kiwis in his way to play a fiery innings of 31 from just 19 balls. Indian bowlers conceded 31 runs in the last 2 overs and that was proven decisive in the end. Ishant Sharma was the most successful bowlers for India taking 4 wickets for 25 runs in his 4 overs.
Chasing a target of 171, Indian batsmen started off very well as their opening pair Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir added 42 runs in 5 overs. Virender Sehwag were absent in the match. Though Gambhir got out for 14, Sharma played an excellent innings of 36 runs from 20 balls, hitting three 4s and three 6s. Suresh Raina scored a fiery innings of 45 runs off just 24 balls. India was very much in the match until Raina and Ravindra Jadeja were batting. Even after Raina got out in the 15th over, India was in the right track to win the game, but Vettori and Oram delivered two excellent overs towards the end and that was enough to clinch a confidence booster victory for New Zealand. Jadeja remained not out on 41 from 41 balls. Vettori picked up 3 wickets for 24, while Oram and Butler got a wicket each.
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