New Zealand won the toss and chose to field first. Zaheer starts proceedings with the new ball.India started off with a flourish but failed to sustain the tempo to find themseves in trouble at 61 for five by the eighth over. Some lusty hittings by Raina and Harbhajan Singh (21) at the end provided some respect to the total. India's innings, highlighted by an unbeaten 61 by Suresh Raina, included 13 sixes, one fewer than the record for a single innings in a Twenty20 international. When New Zealand peppered the short boundaries at AMI Stadium (Christchurch) with 11 more sixes,.
It was comfortable for New Zealand in last movement of McCullum batted through, playing a sensible hand, without heating any shot too early in his innings. He was helped by a solid show from the rest of the batsmen, as partnerships of 54, 50 and 60 show.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Irfan Pathan failed to support Raina and their dismissals left India struggling at 101 for 7. Raina was perhaps the only batsman who consistently succeeded in hitting on the leg side. He stayed balanced and clubbed full tosses and length deliveries from the seamers high over deep midwicket. McCullum is the Man of the Match. He calls his innings 'ugly' and says he never really got used to the pace of the track. He says he was lucky Guptill, Taylor and Oram scored at a quick pace.
