Set 226 to win the first T20I against New Zealand, India pulled off a thrilling chase, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma giving the world champions a flying start. Samson, who made 67 off 33 balls and was named Man of the Match, said the plan was to go big in the powerplay.

When New Zealand finished on 225/4 at Christchurch, the game appeared to be in the hosts’ bag. India had arrived in New Zealand only two days earlier after a long flight and had just one practice session. The seaming conditions in England had troubled them, but in Christchurch they showed no rust.

They scored 94/1 in the powerplay, against New Zealand’s 65/1. A wobble in the middle overs followed, but captain Shreyas Iyer and later Naman Dhir took India over the line with two deliveries to spare and a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

“I think mindset really matters. It’s very easy to look at the conditions from two different perspectives.…