Another big powerplay from them. We were not at our best,” New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said.“In the middle, we did well to squeeze them.
Tight game and both teams might look at things that could have gone here or there.”Seifert and Allen had earlier given New Zealand a solid platform, helping the hosts reach 65-1 in the powerplay, with Allen blasting 45 off 24 balls.Phillips then took charge, producing an unbeaten 82 off 40 deliveries, including eight fours and three sixes, while Bevon Jacobs added 31 before being run out.India’s bowlers struggled to contain the scoring, with all five used going at 10 runs an over or more.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, playing his first T20 international in four years after last featuring against New Zealand in 2022, endured an expensive return with figures of 0-49.The second T20 will be played on Saturday in Christchurch.