A wobbling top-edged six from Naman Dhir’s hurried pull was not the most poetic end to a semi-thriller, but India would care less about the stroke that wrapped up their four-wicket win over New Zealand at the Hagley Oval. Barely two days after landing in the far-flung country, shaking off their jet lag, squeezing in just a practice session, they overhauled a target of 226, weathering treacherous passages in the game.

The victory was established on the muscle and depth of their batsmen, a theme by now run-of-the-mill. The most destructive openers in the game, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, shellacked 93 runs in merely 5.5 overs, Shreyas Iyer exhibited his nervelessness with a firefighting 42 and Dhir produced a calm unbeaten 42 that enforced his clutch-moment credentials. Sanju offered the impetus in the opening act, Shreyas controlled the middle game, and Dhir killed the match with an unfussy endgame.

The chase did not produce a riot of emotion, as the drama slow-burned without wicked twists and turns.…