India captain Shreyas Iyer felt that the conditions in Christchurch changed during the course of the first T20I against New Zealand, making batting easier during the chase. Despite going into the series with just one training session, India adapted and chased down 226 - their highest successful T20I chase.
"When we started bowling I thought it was playing a bit slower," Iyer told the host broadcaster after India beat New Zealand by four wickets and two balls to spare. "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."
Sanju Samson was especially quick, smashing 50 of the 94 runs India hit in the powerplay. He said his stint behind the stumps gave him a reference point for what to do while batting in these conditions. Samson finished with 67 off 33 balls before Iyer (42 off 28 balls) and Naman Dhir (42 off 15 balls) helped India chase the target.
"You definitely think about your batting while you are [keeping]," Samson said. "Today, I summed up playing my game today while keeping. But when I came to bat, it was completely different. In the first half, the ball was stopping a bit from a length, but in the second half the ball was coming on very nicely with the dew in the outfield."
In his first T20I away from home - and sixth overall - Dhir displayed composure with the bat, guiding India home after Iyer had holed out in the penultimate over. Dhir also provides India with an extra bowling option though Iyer didn't use him on Thursday. In the five-match home T20I series against West Indies, Dhir took five wickets in ten overs.
"Yes, absolutely he gives us a lot of options," Iyer said of Dhir. "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.
India will face New Zealand in the second T20I at the same venue on Saturday.