Phillips hits 80 off 40 balls as New Zealand post 225/4 against India in first T20I

The first match of the five-game T20 series between India and New Zealand is being played at Hagley Oval in Christchurch today. India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bowl first, so New Zealand were asked to bat.

Batting first, New Zealand scored 225 for four in 20 overs, setting India a target of 226 to win. Glenn Phillips played a blistering innings, hitting 80 runs off 40 balls.

New Zealand made a strong start. Tim Seifert and Finn Allen put on 49 runs for the first wicket. Mayank Yadav broke the partnership by dismissing Seifert for 24. Allen then contributed 45 off 24 balls, with five fours and two sixes, before spinner Axar Patel sent him back to the pavilion.

India have made some important changes to their side. Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns to the Indian team after a full four years, while Vaibhav Suryavanshi will have to wait for his chance.

The two teams have played 31 T20 internationals so far, with India holding the upper hand. India have won 19 of the 31 matches and New Zealand 11, while one ended without a result. India have not lost a single T20 international on New Zealand soil in the last seven years.

India's playing XI is Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Yadav and Arshdeep Singh.

New Zealand's playing XI is Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Adam Milne and Lockie Ferguson. India's innings is yet to come and the result is awaited.