India vs New Zealand highlights, 4th T20I: New Zealand beat India by 50 runs

India vs New Zealand highlights, 4th T20I: Shivam Dube blazed away with a fifty of the highest quality, but his lone assault was not enough to save India from a 50-run defeat against New Zealand in the fourth T20I on Wednesday. Chasing a daunting 216, India were bowled out for 165, despite Dube’s superb 65 off 23 balls (3 fours, 7 sixes), as the visitors pulled the series back to 3-1.

With Ishan Kishan sidelined due to injury, the onus was on Abhishek Sharma and captain Suryakumar Yadav to set the tone. Instead, India suffered an immediate setback as Abhishek fell to the very first ball, skying Matt Henry to Devon Conway at deep point.

Suryakumar followed soon after, his tentative push turning into a stunning caught-and-bowled effort by Jacob Duffy, leaving India reeling at 9 for 2. Rinku Singh (39) and Sanju Samson (24) attempted to steady the innings, but momentum remained elusive both inside and outside the Powerplay.

Rinku was trapped lbw by Zak Foulkes, while Samson, after playing a delightful flicked six off Duffy, was deceived by Mitchell Santner and bowled. Hardik Pandya failed to make an impact as well, as India slid to 82 for five in the 11th over, leaving Dube and Harshit Rana (9) with a steep task.

Unfazed by the mounting asking rate, Dube batted with remarkable freedom and authority. Given a lifeline via DRS on 46, he reignited Indian hopes by smashing 29 runs off Ish Sodhi’s third over, striking a brutal sequence of 4, 6, 4, 6, 6.

The left-hander brought up a stunning 15-ball fifty with a six over square leg off Duffy. Dube and Rana added 63 runs for the sixth wicket, though Rana’s personal contribution amounted to just four runs.

India’s hopes finally evaporated when Dube was run out in cruel fashion. Rana’s fierce straight drive deflected off Henry’s hand and crashed into the stumps at the non-striker’s end, with Dube well short of his ground — a moment that effectively sealed India’s fate.

Earlier, New Zealand’s innings was built around a scintillating half-century from Tim Seifert. The wicketkeeper-batter struck 62 off 36 balls (7 fours, 3 sixes), setting the platform even though he lacked substantial support deep into the innings.

Fresh from the Big Bash League, Seifert began aggressively, striking Arshdeep Singh for three consecutive fours — two via edges — before launching Harshit Rana over long-on for six. He continued his onslaught in subsequent overs, taking Rana and Jasprit Bumrah to task as New Zealand raced to 50 in just four overs and reached 71 without loss at the end of the Powerplay.

Seifert’s aggression allowed Devon Conway (44) the time to settle before accelerating. After starting slowly with 9 off 9 balls, Conway found his rhythm against Ravi Bishnoi, collecting two fours and a six in an over. He added 35 runs off his next 13 deliveries before holing out to Rinku Singh at deep cover off Kuldeep Yadav, breaking the 100-run opening stand.

Seifert completed his fifty off 25 balls, but India clawed their way back by taking four wickets for 37 runs, reducing New Zealand to 137 for four in the 13.4th over. While there were no standout spells, Indian bowlers benefitted from the visitors’ eagerness to maintain the high scoring rate set by the openers.

Daryl Mitchell provided the late impetus with an unbeaten 39 off 18 balls, striking cleanly at the death to propel New Zealand past the 200-run mark — a total that ultimately proved far beyond India’s reach.