Indian captain Shreyas Iyer praised Naman Dhir after the visitors won the first T20I against New Zealand at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Thursday by four wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Dhir played a whirlwind knock of 42 runs off just 15 balls with the help of five fours and two sixes in the run-chase of 226. Thus, the Punjab batter played a key role in adding the finishing touches and helped India in chasing down their highest total in T20Is.
The right-hander was able to hit the ground running as the required run rate was almost 12 when he joined forces with captain Shreyas Iyer. Dhir scored his runs at a strike rate of 280.
Iyer said Dhir can also contribute with the ball and give them handy overs but the off-spinner was not used by the Indian skipper on Thursday.
Shreyas Iyer said in the post-match presentation, “Yes, absolutely he gives us a lot of options. If a lefty batsman or even the right-hander is batting especially on this ground…bowling those two-three crucial overs actually can change the momentum and I personally feel that the calm and composed nature that he showed today – it was simply magnificent to see him bat.”
Iyer feels the batting got easier as the match progressed in dew conditions.
He continued, When we started bowling, I thought it was playing a bit slower. The ball was holding a bit and we bowled little ahead [fuller] compared to the hard lengths we should have been hitting. But as soon as the game progressed, we saw the dew coming in and the wicket was getting flatter as the ball was skidding through and coming onto the bat pretty well.
“That’s how they [New Zealand] got the momentum and they reached to 220. Kudos to them for the efforts. But obviously we needed that kind of start, especially when you’re chasing 220. Getting to 80-85 [94] in six overs – that’s a tremendous start,” Shreyas added.
The second T20I between India and New Zealand will be played at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Saturday.
