Cricket

In a thrilling encounter at Wellington's Sky Stadium, Australia snatched a nail-biting six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the opening Twenty20 international. Chasing a challenging target of 216, the Aussies rode on Mitchell Marsh's blistering 72 and Tim David's last-ball heroics to seal a dramatic triumph.New Zealand, batting first, posted an imposing 215-3, powered by Rachin Ravindra's maiden T20I half-century (68 off 35 balls). The hosts' innings was characterized by aggressive strokeplay, with Glenn Phillips (43) and Mark Chapman (32) providing valuable contributions.Australia's chase got off to a solid start, with openers Travis Head (24) and David Warner (32) putting on a 46-run partnership. However, the introduction of spin stifled their momentum, as Ish Sodhi and Michael Bracewell picked up quick wickets to leave the visitors reeling at 68-3.Enter Mitchell Marsh, who took the New Zealand attack head-on. The Australian skipper unleashed a flurry of boundaries, smashing seven sixes and two fours in his 44-ball 72. He forged a crucial 42-run stand with Glenn Maxwell (25) before Josh Inglis (20) joined him in a 51-run partnership.With the match slipping away, Tim David stepped up to the plate. The hard-hitting all-rounder remained composed under pressure, striking a six and a boundary off the final two deliveries to seal a remarkable victory for Australia.New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged the power of the Australian batting lineup, admitting that their inability to take wickets proved costly. The series now moves to Auckland for the remaining two T20Is, followed by a two-Test series.