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Patna : New Zealand (NZ) crushed India by 80 runs in the 1st T20I at Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand, to take 1-0 lead in the three-match series. India had won the toss but opted to bowl. India performed miserably both with the ball and bat. New Zealand wicketkeeper Tim Seifert was named Player of the Match for scoring 84 runs in 43 balls. Seifert fell to K Khaleel Ahmad.
Set a target of 220, India were all out for only 139 in 19.2 overs with Tim Southee taking 3/17 in 4 overs including the wicket of India cap(1). Lockie Ferguson, who was bowling at a brutal pace touching even 151 kmph, took 2/22 in 4 overs. Ish Sodhi took 2/26 in 3 overs while Mitchell Santner took 2/24 in 4 overs. Darry Mitchell took one wicket.
For India, wicketkeeper M S Dhoni was the top scorer with 39 runs in 31 balls with 5 fours and a six. Shikhar Dhawan scored 29 runs in 18 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes while Vijay Shankar scored 27 in 18 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes. Krunal Pandya made 20 in 18 balls with a four and a six. Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya scored 4 each.
Batting first, New Zealand scored 219/6 in 20 overs with opener and wicketkeeper Tim Seifert, 24, scoring 84 in 43 balls with 7 fours and 6 sixes adding 86 runs with Colin Munro for the first wicket. Munro fell to Krunal Pandya for 34 in 20 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes. Captain Kane Williamson fell to Yuzvendra Chahal for 34 in 22 balls with 3 sixes. Ross Taylor fell to Bhuvaneshwar Kumar for 23 in 14 balls hitting 2 sixes. Scot Kuggeleijn remained unbeaten on 20 in 7 balls with 3 fours and a six. Hardik Pandya took 2/51.