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 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 too late to rescue India. He kickstarted his innings with a 101-metre six off Mitchell Santner. 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, but was eventually run out at the non-striker's end after a deflection from the bowler Matt Henry, a dismissal that effectively ended India's chase.

India's top order, in their bid to go all-guns-blazing, found the ploy backfiring. Abhishek Sharma fell for a golden duck. Suryakumar Yadav drove one back to the bowler Jacob Duffy in the second over. Rinku Singh, in his new role at No. 4, and Sanju Samson were cautious early on, but Samson was cleaned up in Santner's opening over. Two overs later, Hardik Pandya was dismissed to leave India's chase in tatters. With the lower order not offering much fight, India were bundled out in the 19th over for 165.

Earlier, Tim Seifert helped New Zealand to a blazing start, cracking three boundaries off successive deliveries in the opening over against Arshdeep Singh. He brought 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 brought up their century stand in the first ball of the ninth over, but once Seifert departed for 62, New Zealand's innings began to stutter. India kept chipping away with wickets at regular intervals, with batters holing out to fielders in the deep. Rinku Singh was especially busy on the field, pouching four catches, becoming only the second Indian outfielder to achieve the feat in a T20I.

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.