All-round New Zealand gain consolation win in Vizag

Shivam Dube's blazing 23-ball 65 went in vain as New Zealand secured a comfortable, consolatory 50-run win in the high-scoring 4th T20I in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. Riding on the back of a century opening stand between Tim Seifert and Devon Conway, followed by a clinical all-round bowling display, the visitors registered their maiden win of the series.

Walking out to bat in the ninth over, with India reeling at 63 for 4 in the chase of 216, Dube's assault came a bit too late to rescue India. He kickstarted his innings with a 101-metre six off Mitchell Santner, but before he could pump the next of his 10 boundaries, Rinku Singh - the only other frontline batter - had also departed, and Dube was left to take over the mantle of India's chase on his own.

With no reason to hold back, he took apart Ish Sodhi for 29 runs in the 12th over, and then plundered Jacob Duffy for two sixes in the next over, to bring up his half-century off only 15 balls. He looked unflustered in the middle pulling Matt Henry for his seventh six of the innings, and then pulled him behind square for a boundary to keep India's hopes up of being in the chase. However, Harshit Rana, who was playing second fiddle in the partnership smashed one back at the bowler, which was deflected on to the stumps off Henry, and found Dube short of his crease at the non-striker's end.

That dismissal effectively ended India's chase, which was prolonged courtesy Dube's counter-attack. India's top order, in their bid to go all-guns-blazing, like they had done previously in the series, found the ploy backfiring at them. Abhishek Sharma sliced one to backward point, falling for a golden duck. Suryakumar Yadav, in the second over, drove one back to the bowler - Jacob Duffy, who took a fine, low catch.

Rinku, in his new role at No. 4, and Sanju Samson were a bit cautious early on, Samson, only for the second time since the start of 2025 played past the PowerPlay, but was cleaned up soon enough in Santner's opening over. Two overs later, Hardik Pandya sliced one to the backward point fielder to leave India's chase in tatters. With the lower order not offering much of a fight, India were bundled out in the 19th over for 165.

Earlier in the evening, Seifert had helped New Zealand to a blazing start, cracking three boundaries off successive deliveries in the opening over against Arshdeep Singh. Sandwiching a couple of top edges was a thumping straight smash to a length delivery down the ground. He asserted that dominance in the next over as well, against Harshit Rana, cracking a six over long on and then slapping one over extra cover for a four.

While Seifert continued to assert his dominance over the Indian bowlers, bringing up his half-century in the fifth over by pumping a six down the ground to Jasprit Bumrah, Conway cut loose in the last over of the PowerPlay, taking apart Kuldeep Yadav for 16 runs.

The openers made merry on a surface that offered ample help for the batters, bringing up the century stand in the first ball of the ninth over by slog-sweeping Kuldeep for a six, but once he departed off the next ball, lofting straight to Rinku Singh at deep cover, New Zealand's innings began to stutter.

An uncertain push by Rachin Ravindra handed Bumrah his first wicket of the innings, Seifert flatbatted Arshdeep to long off as he departed for 62. Glenn Phillips made a promising start to his innings, and ensured boundaries continued to flow even when the scoring rate was being pushed back by the hosts. However, his innings was cut short on 24, when he lofted one down the ground, where Rinku took a fine running catch.

With easy pace and even bounce on offer, all the incoming batters played their share of big shots, but India kept chipping away with wickets at regular intervals, with the batters holing to the fielders in the deep. Rinku was especially busy on the field, pouching four catches, becoming only the second Indian outfielder to achieve the feat in a T20I.

Santner was run out, courtesy a fine direct hit from Pandya which caught the batter short despite diving in his attempt to steal a quick single. Harshit and Arshdeep resorted to a few slower balls towards the death, but that was to have little impact given the nature of the surface. Daryl Mitchell's 18-ball 39 powered the visitors to 215 for 7 - their second highest total against India.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 215/7 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 62, Devon Conway 44; Arshdeep Singh 2-33, Kuldeep Yadav 2-39) beat India 165 in 18.4 overs (Shivam Dube 65, Rinku Singh 39; Mitchell Santner 3-26, Jacob Duffy 2-33) by 50 runs