Not every night goes to plan. In Vizag, it just wasn’t our day.

Credit where it’s due. The Kiwis were better on the night, executed their plans and came out on top. India showed fight, had their moments and even found hope late in the chase, but the result didn’t swing our way.

Here’s the tale of the 4th T20I 👇

A strong effort by the visitors

Put in to bat, New Zealand came out firing.

A solid 100-run opening stand gave them early momentum and set the tone for the innings. Just when things looked to be drifting, India’s bowlers pulled it back.

Kuldeep removed Conway to break the opening stand. Bumrah soon followed up by dismissing Ravindra after deceiving him with a clever ball. This soon turned into a mini collapse and the Kiwis were reduced to 137/4.

But the visitors finished strong once again, pushing their total to 215/7. On a good batting surface, it was always going to be a stiff chase.

DUBE smash lights up Vizag 🔥

When India needed a spark, Shivam Dube brought the heat.

Swinging freely and taking on the bowlers, Dube smashed 65 runs at a strike rate of 282, turning the chase into a moment of belief and lighting up Vizag in the process. For a brief phase, hope was well and truly alive.

But on the night, it wasn’t enough to take India home. Santner’s 3/26 ensured a comfortable win for the Kiwis.

A small bump, nothing more. The bigger picture stays intact.

With the final T20I before the World Cup up next, the focus shifts quickly. Heads up, lessons taken and eyes firmly on the finish line.

All set for Saturday 👊

Brief Scores: New Zealand 215/7 (Tim Seifert 62, Arshdeep Singh 2/33) beat India 165 (Shivam Dube 65, Mitchell Santner 3/26) by 50 runs.