One mind game for another. The first innings of the opening ODI match between the India National Cricket Team and the New Zealand National Cricket Team was filled with multiple entertaining moments. One of those moments came when the India pacer Gurnoor Brar was up against New Zealand's No.11 batter Blair Tickner.

Blair Tickner lit up the stage with his unexpected explosive batting against India today. While the top and middle-order batters of the team collapsed in their own backyard, in front of the Indian pace line, the No.11 batter of New Zealand took everyone by surprise with his amazing hitting skills. Four sixes from his bat helped the Blackcaps turn 146/9 into 185/10 in Auckland.

A banter between Gurnoor Brar and Blair Tickner

The bowlers struggled to dismiss the tail-ender until Gurnoor Brar came to the rescue. The batter, Blair Tickner, himself actually showed Brar the path to dispatch him.

On the first ball of the 41st over, Auckland saw some funny banter between Tickner and Brar. The Indian pacer pitched a back-of-a-length delivery against the right-handed batter. Tickner went for a pull shot, but his technique wasn't good enough to make contact. The batter, however, to trick the bowler, rushed quickly on his crease and pointed towards the middle stump. Tickner suggested to Gurnoor Brar to target the middle stump.

Gurnoor Brar cleans up Blair Tickner with a similar delivery

Brar was not among those who would fall for the trap easily. In reply, through his gesture, he suggested the batter learn the pull shot properly by pointing both of his thumbs. Neither the batter nor the bowler was prepared to leave, not even a single grass of the ground.

As per the nature of the game, one had to be eliminated, and it was the New Zealand number eleven Blair Tickner. On the very next ball, Gurnoor Brar put the curtain on the explosive show of Tickner. The fast bowler repeated his previous delivery which had tempted the batter. Brar again went short and fast, forcing the batter to swing his bat. This time the ball took an edge from Tickner's bat. Brar got the important wicket in the match for India.

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Blair Tickner added 34 runs on the scoreboard

New Zealand unexpectedly lost all of their wickets for only 185 runs. Tom Seifert, with 38 off 43, was the highest run scorer among the regular batters. Without the explosive cameo of Tickner, who got 34 runs from 23 balls with one 4 and four 6s, the New Zealand cricket team might have wrapped up their innings with a lower total. His last-wicket partnership with Jacob Duffy added 39 before Gurnoor Brar had him caught by KL Rahul.

For India, Brar took three wickets while Arshdeep Singh got 4. Anshul Kamboj also did well with his swing deliveries. Kamboj bagged 2 wickets at an economy rate of 2.20. Auqib Nabi and Axar Patel remained without a wicket.