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That's all from this game. These sides meet again on Friday and we would hope for a much closer contest then! This is Dwaipayan Mukherjee, signing off alongside Soorya Sesha. We will see you soon!
Mitchell Marsh (Australia Captain) : Funny how I always thought I will be a bat-first captain but we have been doing well bowling first. The most pleasing thing is how we handled the wind and how we bowled with the short boundary and the wind which got us the right results. Defending the big side was our plan, keeping it simple. We have been playing good cricket. We are finding our own formula. These guys are a great bunch of players and we are hoping to put all pieces in place for the T20 World Cup.
Micheal Bracewell (New Zealand Captain) : Yeah, I think in the power play in both innings we got a bit behind the game. We did well with the bat in hand but the way that they came out batting for us really took the game away from us. That's T20 cricket - sometimes a few mishits go up in the air and today, more things went their way. What we pride ourselves on is scrapping right till the end and we will come back with lessons for the next game. Tim played beautifully, the tendency for batting groups after losing 3 wickets early is to take a backward step but what we saw from him and Daryl was that they took a couple of steps forward and that was really heartening to see. We needed more runs, though. We lacked a bit of execution and they pounced on those opportunities. That's the game of cricket, sometimes things do not work our way. It's good for us to have a game ahead soon since we will not have a long time dwelling, we will do a quick de-brief tomorrow and hope for a change in results on Friday.
Mitchell Marsh is the Player of the Match for his 85 off 43 balls. Here's what he has to say: Nice entry. Obviously really important in a 3-match series to start off with a win so nice to contribute. (Opening with Head) I've got a great relationship off the field with him and hope it translates into some great partnership batting. I probably feel under more pressure (laughs) to get off to a good start with the power we have. We are doing it organically. Hopefully we can continue. I'm just hoping to get it out of the middle and connect well. Just happy to contribute.
10:23 PM local time (2:53 PM IST): Australia (186 for 4) defeat New Zealand (181 for 6) by 6 wickets
Mitchell Marsh - 85 (43) | Matt Henry - 2/43 Travis Head - 31 (18) | Zakary Foulkes - 1/35
This has been a sublime effort by the Aussies as they complete a demolition job against their rivals. Marsh led with example at the start for the visitors. The wind was a big factor in this game which prompted the Aussies to target one end of the ground. Duffy, who's currently ranked 2nd in the T20I standings, had been taken to the cleaners a bit by the Aussie captain - with back to back boundaries to close out the 2nd over of the chase.
Zak Foulkes had an impressive record at this venue. But he was dependent on the conditions to offer him with some assistance. Pace isn't his greatest weapon. Head was happy to give strike to his opening partner. And Marsh provided the early advantage to his side. 4 bowlers were used in as many overs at the start of the chase but the intent shown by the Aussies made one thing clear - they wanted to attack their way to the target.
The opening stand brought up their half century mark halfway through the 5th over. 10 fours and a maximum were hit within the first 5 overs of the chase as New Zealand look bereft of ideas on trying to control the bleeding of runs. The 67 run opening partnership came to an end in the last over of the power play when Head mistimed a shot, but not before they had brought down the asking rate to under 8 for the rest of the chase.
Marsh developed a penchant for Foulkes, striking him for consecutive sixes in his 2nd spell that brought up his half century along with the team century, making a mockery of the chase. The belligerence of Marsh's knock had such a magnitude that the required rate became run a ball even before the halfway point of the chase had come up. Eventually, Marsh departed for a blistering 85 and if not for a brain fade moment that denied him a single in the ball before his dismissal, he could have gone on to register a century.
In the end, it has been all too easy for the visitors as all the batters who marked their guards found it conducive for shot making on a day when hardly anything that the Kiwis did with the ball in hand worked for them.
16.3 Zakary Foulkes to Marcus Stoinis, THE HULK FINISHES IT OFF! Australia go 1-0 up in the series! Takes on the short ball and thwacks a pull behind square with a nice swivel. Picks the vacant spaces out for himself to send it racing along and it wraps up a comprehensive win for Australia, whose solid run in T20Is in 2025 continues!
Marcus Stoinis batting at 6th position
Alex Carey has been dismissed for 7 runs off 7 balls
16.2 Zakary Foulkes to Alex Carey, OUT! Would you believe it! Slower one shoved into the pitch outside leg stump. Carey makes room and seemed to be in a tangle in terms of which shot to play. Eventually, it's the upper cut that he opts for but due to the lack of pace, the ball just lobs up before Chapman holds on at short third
16.1 Zakary Foulkes to Tim David, gets high on the bat as Foulkes goes into the pitch around off. David swivels and scuffs a pull over mid-wicket which drops safely. The scores are level!
Zakary Foulkes [2.0-0-30-0] is back into the attack
16
overs
180/3score
0
1
2wd
1
0
1wd
6
1
runs
Tim David*
20(11)
Alex Carey
7(6)
Michael Bracewell
0/29
15.6 Michael Bracewell to Tim David, good length ball on middle stump. David punches it to long on to retain strike
15.5 Michael Bracewell to Tim David, SIX! ENORMOUS! Drag down at the stumps and David rocks back to muscle it over mid-wicket. More catching opportunities for those in the crowd and Australia are just one hit away!
15.5 Michael Bracewell to Tim David, WIDE! Lands outside the tramline this time as David shoulders arms
15.4 Michael Bracewell to Tim David, fired full and well inside the tramline. David doesn't offer a shot
15.3 Michael Bracewell to Alex Carey, full and well outside off. Carey fetches a sweep to deep mid-wicket for one
15.3 Michael Bracewell to Tim David, WIDE! Fired outside leg stump as David lets it pass. Not a clean save by the keeper and the ricochet allows the batters to switch ends
15.2 Michael Bracewell to Alex Carey, full on middle and off stump. Carey works it to long on for a single
15.1 Michael Bracewell to Alex Carey, looped up full outside off. Carey presses forward and opens the face to guide it to short third, no run
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Tim David
*
Michael Bracewell
Video
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