Smriti Mandhana creates history, scores fastest half-century in first T20I series

The Men in Blue could not make a match of it and were bowled out for just 139 in 19.2 overs with Tim Seifert's opposite number MS Dhoni scoring the highest score for the team - 39.

New Zealand's Ish Sodhi (R) with teammates Tim Seifert (C) and Daryl Mitchell (L) celebrate their win in the first Twenty20 cricket match between New Zealand and India in Wellington on 6 February 2019.

They have hit the homestretch of a memorable three-month tour and a rampant India will be fancying another series win when they clash with under pressure hosts New Zealand in the opening T20 worldwide here on Wednesday.

In New Zealand's innings of 219 for six, all-rounder Daryl Mitchell, on T20 debut, sent one down the ground which looked destined for his first six on the worldwide stage. The earlier biggest loss was against Australia in May, 2010 by 49 runs.

Seifert, whose previous best innings in eight internationals was an unbeaten 14 on debut, gave New Zealand a flying start. The duo of Tim Seifert and Colin Munro blunted the leather brutally to add 86 runs for the first wicket and put the visitors on the back foot.

New Zealand handed out India a hammering in the first T20I, crushing them by 80 runs - India's worst defeat in the shortest format of the game.

His 43 ball innings included seven fours and six sixes. Batting at five, Dhoni shared a 52-run seventh-wicket association with Krunal Pandya, who made 20 off 18 balls.

India came into the contest on the back of a 4-1 victory in the one-day worldwide series but sorely missed the stability offered by regular skipper Virat Kohli, who has been rested for the three T20 matches. In addition, the second ranked India haven't lost a bilateral T20 series since September 2017.