Jaipur

Martin Guptill and Mark Chapman played knocks of 70 and 63 respectively as New Zealand posted a total of 164/6 against India in the first T20I of the three-match series here at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Wednesday.

Asked to bat first, New Zealand got off to the worst start possible as on just the third ball of the innings, Daryl Mitchell (0) was clean bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Mark Chapman then joined Martin Guptill in the middle and the duo took New Zealand's score to 41/1 after the end of the powerplay. Chapman and Guptill kept on moving the scoreboard slowly and steadily, and at the halfway mark, the Kiwis score read 65/1. In the 11th over bowled by Mohammed Siraj, Guptill changed the tempo as he smashed 16 runs, giving the much-needed momentum to the Kiwis. Chapman also went on to register his half-century and the visitors were looking in firm control.

Chapman finally departed after playing a knock of 63 and he was sent back to the pavilion by Ravichandran Ashwin. In the very same over, Ashwin sent Glenn Phillips (0) back to the pavilion, reducing Kiwis to 110/3 in the 14th over. In the final four overs, New Zealand managed to add 34 more runs, taking the score past the 160-run mark.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 164/6 (Martin Guptill 70, Mark Chapman 63; Ravichandran Ashwin 2-23) vs India.