Amid the dismal batting performance by the hosts, there was something to cheer about as their opening pair of Martin Guptill and Colin Munro joined an elite club of batting pairs in T2OI cricket. Guptill and Munro become only the second NZ batting pair after Martin Guptill- Kane Williamson to register 1000 runs in T2OIs. The pair joined well known batting duos like Shikhar Dhawan-Rohit Sharma, D Warner/S Watson in the elite club.
Here is the list of batsmen to scored over 1000 runs in T20Is as a pair:
S Dhawan/R Sharma
K Coetzer/G Munsey
D Warner/S Watson
M Guptill/K Williamson
K O’Brien/P Stirling
W Porterfield/P Stirling
M Guptill/C Munro
Despite a breezy start from openers Munro and Guptill, the Kiwis could not build onto the good platform provided by the openers as their middle order failed to deliver collectively as a unit. With bith Williamson and Colin de Grandhomme dismissed early, Tim Seifert was the lone warrior in otherwise a lacklusture batting effort.
Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul once again continued their good form with the willow helping the vistors chase down a below