India beat New Zealand for first time in Twenty20 cricket
Rohit, Dhawan and Pandya help Nehra bow out from cricket on winning note
Wednesday 1 November 2017 19:59, UK
Ashish Nehra tasted victory in his final international for India as Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan's record stand laid the foundations for a first win over New Zealand in the T20 format.
Rohit (80 off 55) and Dhawan (80 off 52) lashed their 12th and third T20 fifties respectively in Delhi - Dhawan's score his career-best - with the openers' partnership of 158 topping the previous best for India in T20 cricket for any wicket, the 138 Rohit and Virat Kohli hammered against South Africa in Dharamsala in 2015.
Skipper and local boy Kohli (26no off 11) powered his team to 202-3 with three sixes, New Zealand punished for dropping him on eight, having also shelled Dhawan on the same score and Rohit on 16.
Hardik Pandya fell for a duck second ball but atoned in the field, with a superb running, diving catch to dismiss Black Caps opener Martin Guptill (4) off Yuzvendra Chahal (2-26) as the visitors, victorious in their previous five completed T20s with India, laboured to 149-8 to lose by 53 runs.
Nehra, 38, went wicketless from his four overs - including the last of the match - in his 164th and final appearance for India, with Pandya picking up Kiwi captain Kane Williamson (28), Chahal accounting for top scorer Tom Latham (39), and Axar Patel (2-20) also taking two-for, including Colin de Grandhomme first ball.
Ish Sodi (2-25) and fellow spinner Mitchell Santner (0-30) were the only bowlers to contain a rampant India line-up, with Trent Boult cracked for 49 from his four overs - the left-armer's wicket of Rohit, caught behind on review, his only moment of joy.
India, who edged the preceding ODI series 3-2, will now look to wrap up the T20 series with a game to spare in Rajkot on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Cricket, from 1.20pm, before the third clash in Thiruvananthapuram next Tuesday.
ASHISH NEHRA: "It is always good to retire when people are asking why, rather than why not. I consider myself lucky to sign off at my home ground and I am emotional but happy to have played almost 19 years as a fast bowler for India.
"Indian cricket is in good hands for the next seven, eight years and now I can pass my experience on to upcoming fast bowlers. I have seen failure and maybe that can help others to improve."
