Batsman Shreyas Iyer welcomed the Player of the Match accolade, after India beat New Zealand by six wickets in Friday's first T20I at Eden Park in Auckland.
The result gave India an early lead in the five-match series. The second match will be played at the same venue on Sunday. Bet365 have New Zealand and India priced at 2.62 and 1.50, respectively, to win the second T20I.
Iyer hit 58 not out from a mere 29 deliveries, which featured five fours and three sixes, as India reached a 204-run target with six deliveries to spare.
What Iyer said
“It is amazing to win a game overseas and finishing not out is special. We had lost quick wickets, so we had to build partnerships. We always knew we can score runs because this is a small ground. Looking forward to similar support in the remaining games as well,” he said.
Captain Virat Kohli, who recently suggested India's schedule is too busy, appreciated a successful start to the time in New Zealand. The Indians recently beat Sri Lanka in a T20I series and Australia across three ODIs.
What Kohli said
“We enjoyed this. Landing two days before and playing a game like this, it was fantastic. We never spoke of the jet-lag in the team. We didn't want any excuse. We just focused on what we needed to do to win. We were looking forward to play,” added Kohli.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson found some consolation in half-centuries from batsmen Ross Taylor and Colin Munro. Seamer Tim Southee, meanwhile, typified the hosts' eagerness to bowl several slower deliveries. The plan didn't work for Southee, though.
What Williamson said
“There are a lot of positives. It is hard to defend here and there was a bit of dew here. We knew we had to score over 200 with this being a used surface. Credit to India for the way they played. Taking pace off seemed to be working okay, but it was tough to execute because India put us under pressure constantly,” added Williamson.
“But we do need to find ways to pick up some wickets. It was nice to build some partnerships. Guys came in and played their roles really well. It's important we improve in all areas in the next game.”
