Batters shine as New Zealand bounce back to beat India for morale-boosting in 4th match win ahead of T20 WC

Skipper Mitchell Santner claimed three wickets as New Zealand defeated India by 50 runs in the fourth T20I at the ACA-VDCA Stadium on Wednesday, despite a blistering 65 from Shivam Dube.

After posting 215/7, New Zealand left India, effecting a batter short due to Ishan Kishan’s niggle-enforced absence, struggling at 82/5. Dube then launched a stunning counter-attack, smashing a 15-ball fifty and eventually made 65 off 23 balls – his career-best score in T20Is laced with seven sixes and three fours.

But his dismissal – run out at non-striker’s end off a bowler’s deflection - ended India’s hopes, as they were bowled out for 165 in 18.4 overs.

Apart from Santner, New Zealand’s bowlers maintained their control to secure their first win of the series, and offer themselves a timely boost ahead of the Men’s T20 World Cup, despite a mid-innings collapse and Dube’s late assault.

India’s chase began on a disastrous note as Abhishek Sharma fell first ball to Matt Henry after slicing to backward point. Suryakumar Yadav followed soon after, caught and bowled by Jacob Duffy for eight. Sanju Samson and Rinku Singh attempted a rebuild by hitting seven boundaries between themselves.

The pair stitched a 46-run stand before Santner struck in his first over by castling Samson for 24, and followed it up by having Hardik Pandya caught at backward point. Rinku continued to look fluent, before being trapped by Zak Foulkes left India reeling at 87/5. That brought Dube to the crease, and the left-hander immediately changed the complexion of the innings.

He launched Santner for a towering 101m six to get going, and then tore into Ish Sodhi in the 12th over – clearing his front leg and showcasing his brute force to smash four sixes and two fours to collect 29 runs. After surviving an lbw scare, Dube raced to his fifty in just 15 balls – the third-fastest for India in T20Is – by flicking a full toss from Duffy over square leg and kept India’s hopes alive with audacious hitting.

But his innings ended in anti-climactic fashion when he was run out backing up at the non-striker’s end after Matt Henry deflected a straight drive onto the stumps. The dismissal silenced the crowd, who had been lifted by his fireworks. From there, India’s lower order folded quickly, as New Zealand recorded a convincing win.

Earlier, Tim Seifert, Devon Conway and Mitchell led the charge with the bat with blistering knocks to power New Zealand to 215/7.

Seifert gave New Zealand a flying start in the powerplay by attacking India’s pacers to set the tone for top-scoring with 62 off 36 balls, laced with seven fours and three sixes. Conway provided steady support with 44 off 23 deliveries, studded with four boundaries and three maximums as the pair raced towards a century stand before Kuldeep Yadav removed him and halted the momentum.

Though India clawed back in the middle overs, with Kuldeep and Arshdeep Singh picking two wickets each, Mitchell ensured New Zealand had a strong finish by hitting 39 not out off 18 balls, laced with two fours and three sixes, to push New Zealand past the 210-run mark. India, a batter short in this contest due to Ishan Kishan picking a niggle, will need another strong chase to maintain their unbeaten run in the series.

Inserted into batting first, Seifert set the tone from the very first over by hitting Arshdeep for three successive boundaries. By the fourth over, Seifert had already hammered Rana by hammering him for sixes over long-on and fours going over extra cover fence.

Conway, at the other end, took his time before opening up with a boundary steered past third man in the fourth over. Even as Conway hammered Kuldeep and Ravi Bishnoi for two fours and as many sixes, Seifert brought up his fifty in just 25 balls – joint fastest for a New Zealand men’s batter against India.

After the pair raised the first 100-plus opening stand for New Zealand against India in T20Is since 2017, Kuldeep struck when Conway mistimed loft to extra cover, while Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Rachin Ravindra caught and bowled via a slower ball. The bowling change worked well for India when Arshdeep accounted for Seifert, while Kuldeep had Glenn Phillips holing out to long-on as New Zealand slipped to 137/4.

Mark Chapman and Mitchell Santner tried to rebuild but the former fell to Bishnoi, before the latter was run out by Hardik Pandya’s direct hit. Zakary Foulkes provided some relief with a six and a four off Arshdeep but perished soon after to the pacer.

Mitchell then took charge in the death overs by smashing Bumrah for a six and two boundaries in the 19th over and continued his assault against Rana by carting him for a six and four to finish unbeaten on 39 off 18 balls, as New Zealand crossed the 200-run mark, while Rinku stood out for India with his four catches in the outfield.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 215/7 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 62, Devon Conway 44; Arshdeep Singh 2-33, Kuldeep Yadav 2-39) against India