On the back of a fine all-round show, New Zealand posted a consolation victory over India in the fourth of the five-match T20I series in Vizag. The hosts managed to accumulate 165 in a chase of 216, losing the penultimate clash of the series by 50 runs.
Although it was a dead-rubber game, enough attention was zoomed in on Sanju Samson’s form. The wicket-keeper-bat was averaging just over 11 in his last 9 games before the Vizag encounter. Samson did get a start in the fourth game but couldn’t convert it into a score of substance, falling for 24 off 15 deliveries. The wily Mitchell Santner dismissed him with a flatter delivery that spun just enough to rattle the timber.
In this innings, he even got through the opening overs of Matt Henry, who in turn had troubled Samson in the previous games with wobble seam. But fate had something else in store him as pressure mounts on the Indian opener.
On a brighter note for the home team, Shivam Dube (23-ball 65) put on an exhibition of fireworks with a slew of sixes. The all-rounder, who came out to bat at the fall of Hardik Pandya’s wicket, used his long levers to smash Ish Sodhi all over the park. Dube’s strategy was simple but effective – clear the front leg and give it a mighty heave. Unfortunately for India, he had too much to do.
The narrative surrounding the match wasn’t just about Samson and Dube. It was also about New Zealand’s clinical display in all three departments of the game. Tim Seifert showcased his pyrotechnics with a crunchy 62. The wicket-keeper-bat’s hitting prowess seems to be a mixture of Brendon McCullum and Faf du Plessis’ batting.
He provided New Zealand the initiative by thwacking Arshdeep Singh for three fours and then explored different parts of the ground while facing Harshit Rana. Devon Conway also provided him with support as the opening duo shared a stand of 100.
India seemed to be clawing their way back into the game by picking up crucial wickets. However, at that moment, Daryl Mitchell cracked a fine hand of 39 to push the total past the 200-run mark. For the home side, Arshdeep Singh once again showcased his prowess with the ball, bagging two wickets for 33 runs. Meanwhile, Harshit Rana and Ravi Bishnoi combined to give away 103 runs in 8 overs.
India needed a breezy start but Jacob Duffy and Matt Henry blended together to dismiss the dangerous Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav. Rinku Singh and later on Dube tried to chart a jailbreak but New Zealand picked up wickets at timely intervals to come out on top. From the visiting side’s point of view, they would be pleased with their performance across all the three departments.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 215/7 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 62; Arshdeep 2-33) beat India 165 in 18.4 overs (Shivam Dube 65; Mitchell Santner 3-26) by 50 runs
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