India won the toss, chose to field, and watched New Zealand post 225/4 in their 20 overs. Glenn Phillips was the foundation of that total. He finished on 82 not out off 40 balls, with eight fours and three sixes, and he kept the innings moving while wickets fell around him. Finn Allen made 45 off 24 balls with five fours and two sixes, and Bevon Jacobs added 31 off 16 balls, hitting three sixes in a brief but important burst. New Zealand also picked up eight extras, a modest contribution by comparison.
India's bowlers had little to show for their efforts in the middle overs. Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel each took one wicket, but all three went for plenty. Yadav conceded 40 in his four overs, Arshdeep 45 and Axar 51, which works out to roughly 10, 11 and nearly 13 runs an over. That was the price of chasing a score that already looked big by the halfway point.
The chase turned on a late surge rather than a single patient innings. Sanju Samson set the platform with 67 off 33 balls, striking eight fours and four sixes. Shreyas Iyer also made 42, though he needed 28 balls to do it. The decisive contribution came from Naman Dhir, who was unbeaten on 42 from just 15 balls, with five fours and two sixes. Matching Iyer's score in almost half the balls is the kind of arithmetic that wins a T20 chase. India also benefited from 17 extras, twice New Zealand's tally, and those runs helped keep the required rate in check.
New Zealand's attack was not without success. Michael Bracewell took 2/37 in his four overs and Mitchell Santner 2/39 in four, giving the hosts real control at times. Lockie Ferguson claimed 1/34 from three overs. Those figures show New Zealand were still in the contest deep into the chase, but they could not produce the breakthrough that would have forced India into a late scramble.
For the series, the result gives India a 1-0 lead after the opening match. The margin was comfortable enough to matter, though the scorecard alone does not tell us how many matches remain in the series. The next step for both sides is the next T20I on the tour, and the fact that India completed the chase with time to spare will be the first thing New Zealand look to address.