IND vs NZ | Clinical Kiwis dispatch experimental India by 50-runs to earn their first win of the series

Gantavya Adukia

ByGantavya Adukia,SportsCafe Editor

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New Zealand earned an emphatic 50-run win in Vizag to head into the series finale with a series score of 3-1 in favour of the hosts. Tim Seifert's explosive half-century and a Daryl Mitchell cameo saw them post 215/7 and India were never really in the hunt, despite a stormy 65 from Shivam Dube.

India won the toss and opted to bowl first in Vishakhapatnam with significant dew expected later in the evening, fielding an atypical combination of five specialist bowlers. The decision paid off almost immediately when entrant Arshdeep Singh got the leading edge of Tim Seifert twice in the opening over, only for both of those efforts to find the boundary with a thumping boundary down the ground sandwiched in between. It was all the luck Seifert needed to catch fire as he dispelled Harshit Rana for a maximum and a boundary in the ensuing over, before replicating the effort in the pacer's ensuing over to boot. Jasprit Bumrah was not spared the opener's wrath either as he was launched over his head on just his third ball, and Devon Conway added salt to India's wounds by taking Ravi Bishnoi for 16 in the final over of the powerplay to leave the score reading 71/0. The introduction of wristspin after the spread of field did little to change the game's complexion as Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi conceded 12 and 11 respectively, with Seifert bringing up a 25-ball half-century. Kuldeep eventually got the hosts the much-needed breakthroughwhen Convway holed out at deep cover, immediately after smacking a six to end on 44 off 23, bringing Rachin Ravindra to the crease. THe youngster did not stay for long, chipping a simple catch back to Bumrah as soon as the quick returned to the attack, but the Kiwis found themselves well placed at 108/2 at the halfway stage of the innings. The spinners continued to have a hard time as 18 runs followed in the next two overs, and once again pace did the trick with the return of Arshdeep leading to the dismissal of Seifert for an explosive 33-ball 62. Glenn Phillips followed suit the next over trying to take on Kuldeep while Mark Chapman and Mitchell Santner departed in the space of seven deliveries, yet the flow of run did not stop as Rana and Bishnoi conceded 24 still in back-to-back overs. Similarly, Zak Foulkes put together a quick 13-run cameo in Arshdeep's final over only to depart at the end of it, but the watershed moment came thereafter when Daryl Mitchell took on Bumrah and ended up with 19 in the penultimate over. The veteran capped off the inning by taking Rana for 14 in the 20th, ending unbeaten on 39 off 18 to take New Zealand to a commanding 215/7.

In response, India suffered a big blow early when the in-form Abhishek Sharma charged down Matt Henry first ball and sent the ball hurling down Devon Conway's throat at deep backward point. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav departed the very next over courtesy a brilliant return catch from Jacob Duffy to exacerbate matters further, whereafter the Men in Blue decided to promote Rinku Singh up the order. Along with Sanju Samson, the big hitter stitched a quick 36-run stand to take India to 53/2 by the end of the powerplay but the Kiwis curbed their momentum in time through a Santner jaffa that cleaned up Samson for 24 four balls after the spread of field. Hardik Pandya walked out with purpose but could not make much of it as he holed out after a five-ball stay, a couple overs before Foulkes pinned Rinku plumb for a 30ball 39 to leave India reeling at 82/5. India were thus already into their tail with Rana walking in, meaning all onus lay on Shivam Dube to conjure a miracle. The veteran certainly seemed upto the task, having began his knock with a statement-making first-ball maximum down the ground, and struck three more of them in the 12th over to take Ish Sodhi for 29 in a momentum-shifting 12th over. Two more sixes followed in the ensuing over against Duffy to bring up a 15-ball half-century, bringing the equation down to 87 needed in the final seven overs. Henry was the next victim of Dube's power as he was dispatched ffor a six and a four to bring India genuinely within sight of an unlikely victory, only for the quick to get his fingers on a powerful Rana smash down the ground that ran out a backing up Dube at the non-striker's end after a brilliant 23-ball 65. The Kiwis took little time to fold out proceedings thereafter as Sodhi took care of Rana and Arshdeep in the 17th over, and Duffy officially sealed proceedings with the wicket of Kuldeep in the penultimate over to secure a 50-run consolation victory.

Oh lord!

Off!

Nothing in betwen

Beasts

Crazy

New 170 is 200

Carnage

Do or die

LOL

Find him!

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