IND vs NZ 1st T20I Commentary - Jaipur (17 November 2021)

WIDE! Not a good start by Daryl Mitchell! Length ball, way too outside off. Venkatesh Iyer slashes his bat at it but misses. Wided. 

FOUR! Pressure? What pressure? Back of a length, on middle. Venkatesh Iyer stands deep in his crease and pulls it with disdain towards deep mid-wicket for a boundary. What a way to get off the mark on a debut. 

OUT! TAKEN! Four and out for the debutant! Fuller in length, outside off. Venkatesh Iyer tries to be clever and reverse scoop it over short third man but instead chips it straight into the hands of Rachin Ravindra. Pressure back on India now. What an over this is turning out to be. 

WIDE! A slower, full-length ball, outside off. Patel looks to push it away but misses. Wide called by the umpire. Another poor delivery by Daryl Mitchell in this over.

Takes the pace off, bowls it full and wide. Axar Patel dabs it to backward point for a single. Over to Pant now. 3 runs needed from 3. 

FOUR! Rishabh Pant wins it for India! Short of a length, on middle. Rishabh Pant advances down the track and smashes it over mid off. Didn't time it that well but the players were inside the ring to stop the single which meant that the ball went all the way towards long off for a boundary. INDIA WIN BY 5 WICKETS.

Length ball, on off. Shreyas Iyer smashes it hard to mid-wicket. The fielder there does well to stop the ball. A single taken.

Full, on the pads. Rishabh Pant tickes it to backward square leg for one. 

On a good length, on middle. Iyer flat-bats it down to long on for a single. 

On a length, on leg. Rishabh Pant looks to slog it on the leg side going down on one knee but misses. He gets hit on the pads and the batters take a leg bye. 

In the air, but safe! Short of a length, on middle. Shreyas Iyer looks to pull but gets a top edge and balloons it over the bowler's end. It lands right in front of the long on and long off fielders. Two runs taken. 

OUT! TAKEN! New Zealand are right back in the game! Good-length ball, on off. Shreyas Iyer looks to heave but gets no timing on his shot. The ball goes straight to Trent Boult at long off who grabs it easily. 10 runs needed off the final over now. 

Good-length ball, on off. Pant plays it to extra cover. 

Short of a length, on middle. Pant pulls it to deep square leg for a single. 

WIDE! Full and spraying down the leg side, Iyer looks to flick but misses. Wided. These extras aren't going to help New Zealand's cause at the moment. Simply cannot afford giving extra runs. 

Two leg byes! Short of a length, on leg. Shreyas Iyer looks to pull but misses. The ball brushes off his thigh pad and goes to fine leg for a couple of leg byes. 

Length ball, on middle. Shreyas Iyer tucks it to mid-wicket. Martin Guptill picks up the ball and has a shy at the striker's end as Rishabh Pant is too casual completing the single but misses. A direct hit could have been close! 

Full, outside off. Rishabh Pant knocks it straight to mid off. 

Tension building now! Slower, shorter and wider, Rishabh Pant looks to flay it away but misses. 16 needed from the last two overs! 

Fuller in length, on middle. Rishabh Pant makes room and defends it back to the bowler. 

Short ball, on middle. Rishabh Pant looks to play the ramp shot but fails to do so. 

WIDE! Short and way too outside off, Rishabh Pant again looks to play a ramp shot but misses. Wided by the umpire. Trent Boult is not happy with that call. 

On middle, drilled down to long on for one.

OUT! BOWLED! It has not been Trent Boult's night but bags his second wicket. This was on a length, on middle. Suryakumar Yadav goes far too across to play a sweep shot. He misses and the furniture behind him gets disturbed. He would have wanted to finish the game for his side but nevertheless has done his job and goes back to the pavilion after a terrific knock. 

Back of a length, on off. Shreyas Iyer looks to guide to third man but gets an inside edge past the stumps. 

Good timing but no run! Length ball, around off. Shreyas Iyer punches it to backward point. 21 needed from 18 balls!

FOUR! What a hit! A full-length ball, outside off. Pant skips down the track and punches it through covers for a boundary. 

Length, on off. Pant taps it to point and crosses for a single.

FOUR! Second boundary of the over. Yadav continues on his merry way. Deft touch finding the gap. Length and outside off. Yadav comes across and guides it past short third man for a boundary.

MISFILED AND FOUR! Of all the people it was Boult who makes a mess out of it. Full and on the pads. Yadav comes across and whips it aerially towards deep square leg. Trent Boult comes forward but the ball goes through his palms and into the boundary. Not a good day at office for Boult.

On off, Yadav pushes it to cover for a single.

LEG BYE! Short and on the pads. Pant looks to flick it away but misses. The ball rolls out and the batters collect a leg bye.

SIX! Shot of authority! Yadav gets his half century in some style. A length ball, on middle and leg. Yadav gets inside the line and smokes it over the square leg fence for a maximum. This is the longer boundary but it does not matter. Yadav uses the pace on the ball really well.

Fuller, on off. Yadav drives it to long off for a single.

Length and outside off. Pant pushes it through covers for a single.

Length ball, on top of off. Yadav stays inside the crease and pushes it towards point.

Overthrow! A length ball, outside off. Pant pushes it towards cover and grabs a single. The fielder overthrows which allows the batters to sneak another single.

MISFIELD! Full and on off. Pant hits it to mid off. The fielder fumbles which allows the batters to cross for a single.

Full and outside off. Sharma leans in and pushes it aerially towards point. The ball meets Guptill on a bounce.

OUT! CAUGHT! Trent Boult after getting hit all across the park in his second over, gets the last laugh and gets rid of the skipper, Rohit Sharma. The only reason why Boult was brought on, he gets an important breakthrough. Boult serves an off-pace short delivery, on the bodyline. Sharma looks to hook it away, but ends up chipping it towards short fine leg. Rachin Ravindra take a couple of steps back and grabs the ball with ease. New Zealand have a glimmer of hope now.

Pant gets off the mark instantly! Full-length ball, on middle and leg. Pant clips it through mid-wicket for a single.

Touch short and outside off. Yadav cuts it towards point, but straight to the fielder. Pant ventures out looking for a single, but was sent back in time.

FOUR! Nicely played. Wrists coming into play. This is phenomenal from Yadav. Pressure releaser. A length ball, around off. Yadav gets under it and lifts it over the cover region for a boundary.

Full and outside off. Yadav slashes it through covers for a single. A great over by Boult, a wicket and 6 runs off it.

Flighted, full and on off. Sharma pushes it through covers and gets a single.

Floated, around off, the ball moves away. Yadav stays back and taps it to cover.

Full and on off. Yadav plays it past the bowler towards mid off. They take one.

Another single now! Sharma moves to 48. Full, on off. Sharma goes inside out and lifts it over covers. They take one.

A couple now! Short and on off. Yadav cuts it towards point. Mark Chapman makes a half stop. The batters take two before the fielder cuts it out.

Oh! What a delivery! Floated, around off. The ball turns away off the surface. Yadav looks to defend it out but misses. A good delivery to end his 4-over spell. Santner finishes with figures of 4-0-19-1. 

SIX! SMASHED! Flatter ball, on a length, outside off. Suryakumar Yadav skips down without getting to the pitch of the ball, frees his arms and clears long on to collect a biggie!

Wide! Tossed up, outside off, turning away late. Suryakumar Yadav looks to go inside out but he misses. Wided!

A quicker ball, shorter in length, outside off. Suryakumar Yadav looks to cut but he misses.

FOUR! Punished by SKY! A half-tracker, around middle and leg. Suryakumar Yadav sits back and smashes it to wide of the deep mid-wicket fielder for a boundary. 50-run partnership comes up with this boundary.

Another short ball, around leg. Suryakumar Yadav works it behind square on the leg side for a single.

Flatter ball, on a length, around middle. Rohit Sharma tucks it to the leg side and rotates the strike.

Just a tad short, outside off. Suryakumar Yadav cuts hard past the point fielder. The fielder from deep cover runs to his left and keeps it to two. 61 runs needed off 48 balls!

Flatter ball, on middle and leg. Rohit Sharma tucks it to the leg side for a run.

Santner sees Suryakumar Yadav skipping down, drags his length back and hurls a flatter ball, around off. SKY taps it towards backward point.

On a length, around middle. Suryakumar Yadav eases it to long on for a single.

A tad quicker, around middle. Rohit Sharma works it towards long on and rotates the strike.

Flatter and quicker, around leg. Suryakumar Yadav tucks it behind square on the leg side for a run.

Tossed up, around off, turning away late. Rohit Sharma prods and pushes it towards point.

Full ball, on off. Rohit Sharma drives it to wide of the diving cover fielder for a single.

Back of a length, around middle. Suryakumar Yadav tucks it to the leg side.

Length ball, around off. Suryakumar Yadav stays back and pushes it to mid off.

Three dots in a row! Good-length ball, just outside off, shaping away a bit. Suryakumar Yadav blocks it off the back foot.

Wide! Ferguson errs in line and spills this one way down leg. Suryakumar Yadav leaves it alone. Wided!

A slower ball, shorter in length, outside off. Suryakumar Yadav stays back to play the ramp shot but he fails to get any bat on it.

FOUR! That spoils a good over now! Length ball, darted on the pads. Suryakumar Yadav hangs back and whips it to the vacant deep mid-wicket region to collect a boundary. 80 runs needed off 60 balls!

A full toss, around off. Suryakumar Yadav clips it to wide of long and takes a couple. The fielder in the deep keeps it to two.

Flatter ball, on a length, around middle and leg. Suryakumar Yadav eases it to long on for a run.

Flatter ball, shorter in length, around off. Rohit Sharma taps it to backward point.

In the air...but lands safely! Nicely tossed up, around off, turning away. Rohit Sharma looks to heave it across the line and gets a leading edge which falls in between the extra cover and the long off fielder. Two taken.

Loopy ball, on middle and leg. Rohit Sharma drills it to long on for one.

SIX! BANG! Suryakumar Yadav gets hold of this one! Tossed up, in the slot, around middle. SKY whacks it over deep mid-wicket for a maximum!

Around off, Sharma nudges it on the leg side for a single. 

NOT OUT! Flatter ball, on off. Suryakumar Yadav looks to sweep but misses. He gets hit on the pads. Mitchell Santner and Tim Seifert appeal for an lbw but the umpire says no. New Zealand take a review. UltraEdge shows there is no bat involved. Ball Tracking shows that the impact was outside off. The on-field decision stays and New Zealand burn their review. 

Flatter ball, on off. Suryakumar Yadav pushes it to cover. 

Much fuller, outside off. Suryakumar Yadav reaches out for it and drives this to sweeper cover for a couple of runs. 

Flatter and quicker, on leg. Suryakumar Yadav knocks it down to long on for one.

Flatter ball, on off. Rohit Sharma defends it solidly. 

FOUR! Class written all over it! A juicy full toss, outside off. Rohit Sharma prods and and all he does is hit it over extra cover to fetch himself a boundary. So easy on the eye! 

Full, tossed up, on off. Rohit Sharma works it to short extra cover. 

Drags his length back, on middle. Rohit Sharma clips it to mid-wicket for a run.

Full and on middle, pushed to long off for a single. 

Loopy ball, on off. Rohit Sharma punches it off the back foot to sweeper cover. He rotates the strike. 

A dot to end the over! Flatter ball, around off. Suryakumar Yadav rocks back and cuts it towards backward point. The ball falls just short of Daryl Mitchell. 

OUT! CAUGHT! Rohit Sharma did all the damage from the other end while KL Rahul holes out! This was a tad short from Mitchell Santner, on middle. KL Rahul hangs back and clobbers it towards deep square leg. Couldn't quite get the timing right. Mark Chapman takes an easy catch in the deep. Much needed breakthrough for New Zealand and Santner breaks the partnership. KL Rahul walks back to the pavilion.

Angling into the pads, Suryakumar Yadav whips it to mid-wicket for one. 

Again angling into the pads, Rohit Sharma helps it on its way to fine leg for a single. 

Much slower through the air, on leg. Suryakumar Yadav looks to defend but the ball goes off the outside edge to the off side. 

Flatter and quicker outside off, Suryakumar Yadav looks to drive but gets an outside edge to third man. 

FOUR! Great end to the Powerplay for India! On the stumps, Suryakumar Yadav gets down on his knee and sweeps it to deep square leg for a boundary. End of the Powerplay, India are 56/1.

SIX! Short and punished! Boutl bowls a short-of-a-length ball, on middle. KL Rahul waits for the ball to come and picks the bones out of that one. Pulls it with class all over deep square leg for a maximum. 

Length ball, outside off. KL Rahul chops it away off the bottom half of the bat to deep point for one. 

FOUR! Short again, boundary again! Way too short, on middle. Rohit Sharma looks to pull but misses. The ball goes over the keeper's head for a boundary. Rohit Sharma looks at the umpire and signals that it was a wide but the umpire thinks otherwise. Given runs off the bat. Replay confirms that there was no bat involved. Nonetheless, a boundary! 

FOUR! Top-notch from Sharma! Back of a length, outside off. Rohit Sharma places it with elegance through short third man for a boundary. 

SIX! WOW! This is some serious hitting! Boult and Sharma play for the same team in the Indian T20 League and despite knowing his strengths, bowls it short, on middle. Rohit Sharma moves his weight back and pumps it over deep square leg for a biggie. Trent Boult is disappointed with himself. 50 up for India in no time! 

Much better from Boult this time! Fuller in length, on leg, nipping back in. Rohit Sharma looks to flick but misses and gets hit on the pads. 21 runs from the over. How often does Boult go for so many?

Length ball, outside off. Rahul punches it through backward point for a single.

Inswinging fuller delivery, on off. Sharma defends it back to the bowler. 

LEG BYE! Full, on the pads. Sharma looks to flick it away but misses. The ball goes towards mid-wicket off the pads. The batters collect a leg bye.

Good-length ball, on top of off. Rahul hangs back and blocks it back to the bowler.

LEG BYE! A full-length ball, on the pads. Rahul looks to clip it away but does not get any connection on it. The ball goes to the leg side off the pads. They collect a leg bye.

Two runs! On the pads. Sharma works it towards fine leg. Rachin Ravindra coves a lot of ground to his right and saves a certain boundary. The batters take a couple.

WIDE! A length ball, going down leg. Sharma looks to flick it away but misses. Wide called.

BEATEN! Good-length ball, just outside off. Sharma comes down the track and looks to defend it out but misses. The ball zips past the outside edge.

FOUR! Sharma gets his first boundary off the innings. Full-length ball, outside off. Width offered and Sharma takes no time to pounce on it. Sharma lifts it over the cover region and bags a boundary.

FOUR! Whoa! What a shot! He has crushed it. Back of a length, outside off. Sharma stays back and cuts it through covers. The ball races away to the fence. There is no stopping that one.

A length ball, on the pads. Sharma looks to flick it away but misses.

Full, on the pads. Sharma tucks it to the right of short fine leg. Boult moves to that side and makes a good stop. 

SIX! BANG! Sharma started off slowly but he has shifted the gears in this over. Slightly short, on middle and off. Sharma stays back, swivels and smokes it over the square leg fence for a maximum. Southee is taking a beating here. 

Boult attacks the stumps straightaway. A length ball, around middle and off. The ball comes in off the deck. Rahul stays back and defends it back to the bowler.

Length, on the pads. Rahul tucks it to square leg for a single.

Sharma is yet to get underway! A length ball, on off. Sharma hangs back and defends it to point.

Sharma gets off the mark on his fourth delivery. On a length, on the pads. Sharma flicks it to deep square leg for a run.

Good length, outside off. Rahul stays back and looks to cut it away. The ball goes towards cover off the inner half.

Two dots to end the over! Fuller, around middle and leg. Rahul blocks it back to the bowler. A tidy over by Boult, just 2 runs off it.

A dot to start with! Southee bowls one on the stumps. A length ball, around middle. Rahul covers the stumps and tucks it to mid-wicket. The ball meets the fielder there.

Good running! India and Rahul are off the mark. Full-length ball, on the pads. Rahul flicks it through square leg and gets a couple. 

FOUR! EDGY! Fortune favours the brave they say, and Rahul was brave to play a late shot and it pays off. On a length, around off. Rahul stays back, waits for the ball and attacks the ball. The ball takes the outside edge, flies over Martin Guptill at first slip and into the fence at third man. 

LEG BYE! Length, on the pads. Rahul misses his flick. The ball clips the pads and rolls out to the leg side. The batters collect a leg bye.

Nice movement on this one. Good-length ball, outside off. The ball nips away off the surface. Sharma lets it go sail past him.

Leading edge this time! Fuller, on middle and leg. Sharma is early into his flick. The ball takes the outside edge and goes towards point. A good over by Southee.