Kiwis pull one back: Dube blazes but India burn out in Vizag as New Zealand win fourth T20I by 50 runs

VIZAG: Coming into the penultimate match before the T20 World Cup begins, India’s aim was to fine-tune their final preparations. However, it was a reality check for the hosts as they succumbed to a 50-run loss in the fourth T20I at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday.Playing with a batter less — Ishan Kishan was out with a niggle — India were set a challenging target of 216 by the Kiwis. However, the hosts lost wickets at regular intervals to be all out for 165 in 18.4 overs.Abhishek Sharma departed off the very first ball when he holed out to third-man off Matt Henry, while Suryakumar Yadav (8 off 8; 2x4) was caught brilliantly by Jacob Duffy off his own bowling with just nine runs on the board for India.All eyes were on Sanju Samson, who was struggling to find form. He began well, driving and flicking Henry for a couple of boundaries, while Rinku Singh then danced down to smash Zak Foulkes for a couple of sixes in the fourth over. Samson then flicked Duffy over mid-wicket six to take India to 53/2 in the powerplay.However, Santner broke the 46-run third-wicket stand, striking twin blows in as many overs. He first got one straighten after pitching to rattle rattled Samson’s stumps (24 off 15b; 3x4, 1x6), extending his wretched form. He then forced a false stroke from Hardik Pandya (2), who was caught at backward point to leave India reeling at 63/4.Foulkes then trapped Rinku (39 off 30; 3x4, 2x6) in front in the 11th, sucking the momentum out of the chase.Shivam Dube hit Ish Sodhi for 29 runs in with three huge sixes to bring the contest alive in the 12th over. He then dispatched Duffy over mid-wicket and deep square leg for two sixes, reaching his half-century off just 15 deliveries. He hit two more sixes off Duffy but the innings came to an end when he was run out after backing up too much when Harshit Rana hit one straight that rattled stumps after deflecting off bowler Henry’s hands.Dube’s wicket ended the hosts’ hopes of a victory. Earlier, asked to bat first, openers Tim Seifert (62 off 36b; 7x4, 3x6) and Devon Conway (44 off 23b; 4x4, 3x6) added 100 runs for the opening stand in 8.1 overs. Seifert was lucky to begin with as he topedged Arshdeep Singh twice to third man during the hat-trick of boundaries in the first over.He lofted Harshit Rana for two sixes in successive overs and hit Bumrah for another straight down to bring up the team’s 50 in 4.3 overs.Conway joined in next, hitting Ravi Bishnoi for a couple of boundaries and a six for a 16-run over to take New Zealand to 71/0 in the Powerplay. Seifert reached his half-century off 25 balls at the other end.