India vs New Zealand, 1st T20I - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Series: New Zealand tour of India, 2017 Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi Date & Time: Nov 01, 07:00 PM LOCAL

Ashish Nehra bowed out on a high with India picking up their first ever T20I win against New Zealand. © BCCI

India go 1-0 up, Ashish Nehra walks off with a smile

Hugs from the opposition players, lap of honour, some photograph sessions and the unmissable smile - Ashish Nehra walks off in style! The Delhi crowd turned up in numbers to back a local hero who has been around since 1999. It was only fitting that he bowled the final over and capped of India's thumping victory. Here's what the retiring veteran had to say after all the celebrations...

Ashish Nehra: I will miss all this. That's what you train for. Like I said earlier, one thing that will be in peace is my body. I really pushed myself. I could have pushed for another two months or years, but who knows you can't get better and bigger than this and it was the right time retiring in blue clothes. I must be one bowler who bowled the most number of last overs for India, but it was different sort of pressure and today was much more comfortable. Virat was on my case for the last 2-3 overs and I said I will bowl the last over.

It is a big change and I have seen 18-19 years of cricket, I played my first game here in 1997 and there have been drastic changes. The rules have been changed and so many runs being scored. This is an amazing team and Indian cricket is in good hands for next 7-8 years. Every 8-10 years game changes and I don't like to compare generations. Earlier we had superb players, Ganguly, MS or Sachin, I can't name everybody. All in all it has been a great journey.

More than one performance I would say it's the memory that matters more. In India people remember the memories more. I have told Viru before, he has scored so many runs, but people remember him as Multan ka Sultan. Maybe, the Karachi last over or people may even remember Ashish Nehra for bowling the last over against South Africa in the World Cup (2011) and we lost. Many people asked me if you would have liked to play more Test cricket. But I think I am very fortunate to be standing here, retiring after 18 years, retiring in blue clothes in your home ground, I have no regrets. The crowd has been a great support. I am always happy whether I am retired or not.

One final time for Nehra!

And he starts off with a couple of dot balls. Like he has mentioned time and again, he has enjoyed bowling the final over for India on so many occasions. Final game and quite fittingly, he gets the final over.

Sadly, no wickets to show in his final appearance but a winning farewell nonetheless. A victory lap around Kotla for the local man as he leads the entire unit, soaking in all the love and adulation from the crowd.

India win by 53 runs and lead the three-match series 1-0

Now, EIGHT

Bumrah makes his presence felt now. Mindless slog from Southee but not much he could have done anyway. Thick under edge as the ball goes through to MS Dhoni. Just a mere formality from here on for India..

SEVEN down!

Yuzvendra Chahal has foxed Tom Latham with a googly. The ball turned away from the left-hander who danced down for a big heave, and went to Dhoni who clipped the bails. New Zealand are down to 99 for 7.

Axar double derails NZ's chase

New Zealand are five down and appear to be further away from making it 6-0 over India! Tom Bruce and Colin de Grandhomme have perished while trying to slog sweep Axar out of the park. Bruce's hit was so straight to Rohit Sharma at deep midwicket that the latter didn't have to move an inch from his original position. De Grandhomme's top-edge needed Dhawan to run in before taking the catch, but the latter did that with ease to leave New Zealand five down.

New Zealand 65/3 in 10 overs

Oh the visitors have a mountain to climb. They've had a poor first half to their chase, only managing 65 in the first 10 overs. But that's only 15 runs short of what India had at this stage. From this point on the Indian openers made all the difference, scoring at over 10 runs in each of the next six overs. New Zealand will have to top that effort here.

More trouble for New Zealand

Kane Williamson is gone! He can't believe himself! He has chased an innocuous length ball outside the off-stump and nicked it to MS Dhoni behind the stumps. This is a big blow for New Zealand, who were already behind schedule in the chase. New Zealand 54/3 in 9.1 overs.

New Zealand behind the eight-ball in chase

The batting powerplay tally of 33 for 2 paints a grim image of New Zealand's riposte here. But Kane Williamson's presence in the middle should keep the visitors hopeful. But they need a swift move on.

Typically Bhuvneshwar

Colin Munro can't bring his bat down to a super yorker on time! The ball struck Munro's bat on the way before crashing onto the stumps. New Zealand are in all trouble, down to 18/2 in 3.4 overs.

Hardik blinder!

Another failure for Guptill in India but you can cut him some slack here - that was an unbelievable effort at long off from Hardik Pandya! Guptill chipped a Chahal delivery straight up in the air. It was headed towards the straight boundary but Hardik put in a sprint from long off and took the catch while being parallel with the ground. Sensational stuff from the all-rounder. New Zealand 6/1 in 1.3 overs.

Good start from Ashish Nehra - NZ 5/0 in 1 over

Ashish Nehra starts off from the Ashish Nehra end! And does rather well here! Despite Martin Guptill checking his shot very smartly to collect a four in the over. Only five runs come off the over.

India 202/3 in 20 overs

Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni smashed 17 off the last over from Southee to take India past the 200-run mark. New Zealand will rue their dropped chances and the fact that they've conceded 122 runs in the last 10 overs. Dew will make the targer a lot smaller than it looks, but New Zealand would've preferred keeping the hosts down to a total around the 170-180 run mark.

DRS overturns umpire's review - Rohit Sharma falls for 80 (55)

Interesting turn of events on the field here! New Zealand went up in appeal for a caught behind against Rohit Sharma, but there seemed to be enough doubt for the umpires to go upstairs. But the soft signal was out. After a couple of replays (mind you, the TV umpire couldn't have looked at snicko) the third umpire ruled NOT OUT. Kane Williamson and Co. were baffled and went for their review and got the decision overturned.

Rohit-Dhawan frenzy has come to a screeching halt!

New Zealand went 16 overs without a wicket, but Ish Sodhi has earned them two in the same over. First to go was Dhawan, who gave away his move - dance down the track - too early. Sodhi altered his length late and bowled the googly that went away from Dhawan but took a faint nick on its way to Tom Latham. Hardik Pandya came in at three and got an exceptional away-turner from Sodhi second ball that squared the batsman up and gave Latham his second catch. Hardik walked to give Sodhi his second. It's the sort of the day when even one good over can turn things around considering the impact that dew is having in the middle.

Mission 200 is on?

Shikhar Dhawan has scored at an exceptional rate, Rohit Sharma has picked up after a sedate start and India have scored 78 off the last six overs to move to 158/0 in 16 overs. 200 in sight, surely?

Fifty for Rohit Sharma

Rohit completes his 12th T20I half-century! He's taken Santner apart in the process as India move to 140/0 in 15 overs.

India move on since halfway stage

Rohit Sharma has been the more passive partner today but Shikhar Dhawan has more than made up for it from the other end. India have gone from 80/0 in 10 overs to 125/0 in 14 overs.Dhawan has gone past his previous best T20I score (60 against Bangladesh in Asia Cup T20 final in Dhaka in 2016).

Rohit Sharma meanwhile gets another six-hitting record to his name..

in T20Is: Joburg, 2007: NZ won by 10 runs C'church, 2009: NZ won by 7 wkts W'ton, 2009: NZ won by 5 wkts Ch�?

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Away from all the sentiment, the question is can New Zealand make another strong start to a series? They've been far better competitors than Australia and bring in quite a few fresh faces from the A side.