Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma put together a record-breaking 158-run partnership as India downed New Zealand by 53 runs in the first Twenty20 International in Delhi.

The result would have been a satisfying one for left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra as he was playing in his final international match before retiring from all forms of cricket.

It was also a historical victory for India as it marked the first time that they beat the Black Caps in a Twenty20 International.

Being put in to bat first, Dhawan and Rohit took the attack to New Zealand’s bowling attack and amassed a 158-run partnership in 16.1 overs, during which both batsmen cruised past their half-centuries.

In the end, it was Dhawan who fell first as he was caught behind off the bowling of Ish Sodhi for 80, which came off 52 balls and included 10 boundaries and two sixes.

Sodhi struck again two balls later as Hardik Pandya, who failed to trouble the scorers, suffered the same fate as Dhawan.

Rohit went on to make 80 off 55 deliveries, which included six boundaries and four sixes, before he was caught behind off the bowling of Trent Boult.

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

After appealing for the wicket, the on-field umpires gave a soft signal of out before handing things over to the third umpire, who said that it was not out.

However, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson decided to review the decision, but this time around, the third umpire found sufficient evidence to prove that Rohit had hit the ball rather than his bat hitting the ground.

Despite losing three quick wickets, captain Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored an unbeaten 26 and seven not out respectively to help India finish on 202/3 off their 20 overs.

Sodhi was the pick of the bowlers with two wickets, while Boult chipped in with one.

Chasing 203 to win, New Zealand lost opener Martin Guptill on the ninth ball of the innings as he was brilliantly caught by Pandya off the bowling of Yuzvendra Chahal for four runs.

Colin Munro fared no better as he was clean bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar for seven runs.

With New Zealand having been reduced to 18/2, Williamson and Tom Latham began to rebuild their team’s innings, but after adding 36 runs to the score, Williamson was caught behind off the bowling of Pandya for 28.

Once Williamson was gone, New Zealand began to lose wickets in a hurry, including that of Latham, who scored a 36-ball 39 before being stumped by Dhoni off the bowling of Chahal.

Even though Mitchell Santner provided some late fireworks during his 14-ball 27, it was not enough to save New Zealand as they concluded their innings on 149/8.

Chahal and Axar Patel took two wickets apiece, while Pandya, Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah claimed one wicket each.

Williamson was disappointed to have lost, and said: “A disappointing performance from us in all areas. One that stands out is the fielding. We were very poor there. I don’t think we can use the ground conditions as an excuse. India were superb and played better. When you’re chasing a total like that, which was certainly many above par, you do need to take risks.

“It was disappointing but we will be back in Rajkot. We couldn’t quite use the spinners the way we would have liked to, which was to control the rate of scoring, but they bowled very well. I would like to congratulate Ashish Nehra on a fabulous career. Always a gentleman.”

Kohli was thrilled to have taken a 1-0 lead in the series, and said: “Very clinical performance with the whole team. I thought the wicket was damp but Rohit and Shikhar were outstanding. And with the ball as well, we were brilliant. The bowlers bowled where they should and the fielders backed it up. That catch by Hardik Pandya is one of the best I have seen.

“Shikhar’s one-day game is so good and he always wanted to convert that into T20 as well. I think his adaptability was spot-on today and he unleashed all the shots he had. In T20 cricket, you need to keep picking wickets to win games and it’s always nice to have options. Using Hardik at 6 and Axar at 7 gave us those options. As a captain, you always need an extra option to pick wickets.

“[Speaking about Nehra] That was back in 2003 after he had come back from the World Cup. I was 13 then and struggling for a place in the school team. To have played 19 years is very hard for a fast bowler. I know how professional he’s been and how hard he’s worked. He deserved this kind of a farewell with the crowd cheering him. He can now spend time with his family, he’s got a beautiful family. We’ll stay in touch but we’ll miss him and I wish him all the best.”

Dhawan was named Man of the Match, and said: “I was very happy with the way I batted today. It was needed because I hadn’t really performed in T20 internationals. It wasn’t an easy wicket. Rohit started slowly, so I took over and did the scoring. I feel like I can play anywhere on the ground. I’ve got all the shots.

“All three formats are very important for me. I love all three formats and I love this game. I’ve got the belief that I can perform in all three formats and I make sure my processes and fitness are in place so I can compete with 25-year olds.”