India Vs New Zealand LIVE Cricket Score, 1st T20I: Abhishek Sharma Falls Short Of Century

Jamieson goes searching on the pads again and Axar just clips it away with a lazy flick. This one’s timed sweeter but placed straighter, so it’s only a single down to fine leg. No drama, just calm rotation, keep the scoreboard ticking, keep the pressure on.

Santner drops it a touch short and Hardik Pandya pounces immediately! He’s had a quiet record against Santner in T20s before tonight, but he’s clearly in the mood to rewrite that story. A fierce slap over cover, the ball skimming the turf and racing away to the ropes. Message sent, Hardik isn’t here to be tied down anymore.

Jamieson runs in, bangs it in, and Hardik Pandya absolutely smokes it! There is a man stationed at long-off, but this is hit so hard and so flat that the fielder barely has time to move, the ball whistles past him and races away to the fence. Pure power, no fuss, and the crowd roars as Hardik announces himself at the crease.

And that’s the end of a stunning innings. Abhishek Sharma mistimes one off Ish Sodhi, Jamieson takes it safely at long-on, and the crowd rises to salute their hero. A quick pat from Sodhi, a shake of the head from Abhishek, he knows he picked the wrong option.

But what a knock: 84 off 35, five fours and eight sixes, the innings that pulled IND back into the game. Standing ovation in Nagpur as he walks off.

Abhishek Sharma nudges it down to long-on for a single and, there it is. His 7th T20I fifty comes up in just 22 balls, a whirlwind of power and timing. The Nagpur crowd is on their feet, grooving with every stroke, and the joy is contagious.

Broad can’t hide his grin, patting his bat in applause, while the dugout rises to salute their hero. Sharma’s innings has been nothing short of magical, keeping IND right in the game.

And Abhishek Sharma isn’t letting up! Phillips tosses in a flatter one, and Sharma leans in, meets it perfectly, and sends it soaring over cover for four. The fielder Clarke?

Oh dear, he completely misjudges it, letting it slip through like butter. That’s two shots in a row showing not just Sharma’s timing but also some shaky fielding, it’s raining runs here, and the batter is having a blast.

Abhishek Sharma isn’t having any of Jamieson’s tricks today. The slower ball comes in, and Sharma waits, reads it like a book, then unleashes a massive straight-drive six that just screams, “Not today, mate!”

The ball rockets over the ropes and the crowd goes wild. Jamieson might have hoped for a sneaky wicket, but Sharma’s timing? Impeccable. That’s a statement shot right there, power, precision, and pure swagger.

Jacob Duffy breaks through as Ishan Kishan is caught by Chapman for 8 off 5 balls. Kishan stepped out to play an aggressive shot but struggled to stay balanced against the extra bounce from Duffy. His attempt to loft the ball over cover ended in a simple lob straight into Chapman’s hands. Two early wickets have India reeling.

IND 34/2 (3.4)

Jamieson strikes early! Samson goes for the flick and is caught by Ravindra, a soft dismissal that New Zealand will relish. Samson’s attempt to pick a gap off a good-length delivery backfires, and Jamieson roars in delight, exacting revenge for the previous boundaries.

The Indian opener looks baffled as he walks back, replaying the chance he just let slip. Samson c Ravindra b Jamieson 10(7) [4s-2], early breakthrough for New Zealand.

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are out in the middle, Samson on strike as Jacob Duffy takes the new ball. What a way to begin, full and swinging in at 137.6, Samson forced into a careful defensive push.

Next delivery thuds into the pads and they steal a leg-bye to get moving. First runs on the board, and we’re underway in Nagpur.

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Robinson, Devon Conway(w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy

India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand have won the toss and have opted to field first against India.

The Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium pitch in Nagpur is expected to favour spinners with its slightly slow and tacky nature. First-innings scores often cross 160, making it a moderate-scoring venue.

It is a red-soil surface, so pacers may find movement and bounce with the new ball, but conditions gradually slow down, bringing the spinners and variation bowlers into play. Spinners can influence the middle overs, given the boundaries are bigger than most Indian venues.

New Zealand's entire white-ball tour of India, including the five-match T20I series, will be aired live on the JioHotstar app/website and the Star Sports network.

Hello and welcome!

We’re back with another live blog and it’s India back in action. Ishan Kishan makes his return and there’s plenty more in the spotlight too. With the T20 World Cup just around the corner, every moment here matters. Stay tuned for live updates.