END OF OVER:20 | 17 Runs | IND: 202/3 | RR: 10.10
- Virat Kohli26 (11b)
- MS Dhoni7 (2b)
- Tim Southee4-0-44-0
- Trent Boult4-0-49-1
8.30 pm On a night soaked in dew, two spinners, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi have bowled eight overs for 55 runs and picked up two wickets. Those stats, however, will be overshadowed by India's openers putting on 80 each. Dhawan was in top form, timing the pants off of everything. Rohit wasn't at his absolute best, but he finishes with a strike-rate just shy of his partner's. India were 80 for 0 in the first 10 overs. But they finish with 202, helped by Virat Kohli's 26 off 11 balls, with three massive sixes. Will it be enough though, with both teams making it plain that there is plenty of moisture on the outfield?
"Really enjoyed it today," Dhawan says. "I've played all my cricket over here, very thankful to do well in my home ground. I feel its a bit of damp surface. But at the same time we scored so many runs, so it was confusing. But considering New Zealand's spinners did so well so we hope ours can follow up"
"There's a bit of dew out there, hurt us in the fielding effort, and it'll be interesting to see if the turn remains in the second innings," says Ish Sodhi
Sourav : "I'm not sure the third umpire handled that decision well! If the umpire's review was to check whether it was a bump ball, then the replays clearly showed it wasn't, so going only by that, it should have been adjudged out there itself! And how could the third umpire possibly make out without ultra edge that the ball didn't hit the bat? All this keeping the soft signal in mind which was given out, and by that there should be conclusive evidence that it was not out! " --- Agreed. Good thing there was DRS in operation today
Tom de Sailor: "Hey Al, why was ultra edge not used for the umpire's review?" ---- I thought that odd as well, but it perhaps makes sense considering the third umpire was called in to check the bump ball, which indicates the on-field umpires knew there was an outside edge.
ruchit khushu: "So Kohli bumps up is average by 0.8 runs and also helps his strike rate along the way !! For all the fuss about Kohli not being a big hitter has the best average and strike rate of all Indian batsmen in T-20 International cricket and easily the best combination in international cricket"
END OF OVER:19 | 11 Runs 1 Wkt | IND: 185/3 | RR: 9.73
- Virat Kohli16 (7b)
- Trent Boult4-0-49-1
- Colin de Grandhomme3-0-34-0
RG Sharma c †Latham b Boult 80 (85m 55b 6x4 4x6) SR: 145.45
END OF OVER:18 | 14 Runs | IND: 174/2 | RR: 9.66
- Virat Kohli9 (4b)
- Rohit Sharma76 (52b)
- Colin de Grandhomme3-0-34-0
- Ish Sodhi4-0-25-2
END OF OVER:17 | 2 Runs 2 Wkts | IND: 160/2 | RR: 9.41
- Rohit Sharma71 (49b)
- Virat Kohli1 (1b)
- Ish Sodhi4-0-25-2
- Trent Boult3-0-38-0
India were 80 for 0 in the 10th over. They've almost doubled that in seven.
HH Pandya c †Latham b Sodhi 0 (1m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
As Dhawan walks away, Rohit calls him to share a handshake. Perhaps they've just realised they've recorded the highest opening stand for India. In walks Hardik Pandya, ahead of Virat Kohli
S Dhawan c †Latham b Sodhi 80 (68m 52b 10x4 2x6) SR: 153.84