Former Indian opener Abhinav Mukund praised Team India after Shreyas Iyer’s team registered a four-wicket win against New Zealand in the first T20I at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Thursday.
Mukund highlighted that it is not easy to hit the ground running in New Zealand after all the travel amid the hectic schedule. India played their last match against the West Indies on Saturday in Bengaluru and then took a long flight to New Zealand. Before the series against the Windies, India played two matches in the Asian Games in Japan.
Meanwhile, India was able to chase down 226 runs against the Kiwis after Sanju Samson scored 67 runs off 33 balls, whereas Naman Dhir added the finishing touches with a 15-ball 42 cameo.
“Let me take a second to acknowledge the fact that India, after winning the Asian Games gold medal, landed just a day into Lucknow to play that T20I series which finished on the 17th of this month and then went straight to Christchurch and played this humdinger of a game and get straight past New Zealand’s 225 and in style. This is an insane effort. To fight sleep, to have the energy, and to play such a close game and thrive under pressure, this is what good teams do and that is exactly what India did,” Abhinav Mukund said in a video on his Instagram handle.
Mukund praised Naman Dhir for playing a crucial role in India’s win after the right-hander took the team over the line in the run-chase.
“They have found a gem in Naman Dhir, who comes in at the end and whacks at a sensational strike rate. To win the game for India, showing composure under pressure, these are great signs when India are looking for all-rounders to fill the number seven and number eight spots.”
The second T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Saturday.
