India vs New Zealand Highlights: Dube's heroics in vain as New Zealand win by 50 runs

As I said earlier, it was a bad day at the office in India. Things that could go wrong did go wrong. That being said, India could have done itself a favour by batting first and giving itself a different challenge altogether. Then again, it's all in hindsight and this would not be one that affects their confidence one bit.

It has been a clinical performance here from the visitors and the captain, Mitchell Santner, is the one leading the way in terms of the bowling. He was the one who showed that there is some turn on offer and led the way to build up the pressure and get the big-hitters out quickly.

That is a cruel ending there for Shivam Dube. The crowds have been silenced here in Vizag. Nonetheless, it was a heroic knock by Dube nontheless, fancied his chances all the way through. 

Seems like nothing can stop Shivam Dube at the moment. With Harshit Rana holding down one end, he is getting more and more confident here to play the big shots. The asking rate is also not going too high either. This could be a knock for the ages. 

This is a sensational six-hitting show from Shivam Dube. He has dispatched both spin and pace, reading length wonderfully welll.

The Vizag crowd goes 'Dube, Dube', knowing he is the last real hope left in the case. 

Ish Sodhi looked jaded after that 29-run over. 

Jacob Duffy, the tall pacer, didn't have much success either as Dube dispatched him for two sixes to bring up his fifty in just 15 balls. 

Third fastest T20I fifty for India after Yuvraj Singh's 12-ball 50 and Abhishek Sharma's 14-ball fifty. Something about Indian left-handers and their effortless six-hitting ability. 

This is some hitting here on display. Shivam Dube is not looking to back down, and this is the kind of character you need in the team. Regardless of the result, Dube's performance will certainly win hearts.

This could be the bad day in the office India had coming for them. They looked invincible in the series so far, but sport tends to show that it doesn't matter what you have done before; in the end, the better side on the day wins. Looks like New Zealand is the better side today.

This will be a real test of character, especially for Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube. With Harshit Rana, the last recognised batter left to come, India need to fight it out, and take the game deep if they are to stand a chance. This is one of the moments where they need to step up.

Another one that was flighted and turned here to get the edge. Just goes to prove that Hardik needed to have been sent in later, as compared to Shivam Dube who has been a proven hitter of spin. 

Just when there seemed to be a glimmer of hope, the old commentator’s jinx rears its head once more. Mitchell Santner lands an absolute beauty, extracting a sharp turn and reminding everyone that conditions have changed markedly since the first innings. The contrast is stark, and at this moment, New Zealand appear to have wrestled back the upper hand.

So far, there have been encouraging signs from Samson. With the pressure being on him, he is looking to bide his time and not throw away his wicket. Considering India being a batter short, and losing both Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, having a tad defensive approach might be the way to go. 

India are in desperate need of a stabilizing partnership, and all eyes are on Rinku Singh and Sanju Samson to bail them out of trouble.

Their stand has already reached 23, but with the required run rate creeping higher with every passing over, the duo must balance aggression with caution—finding boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking while protecting their wickets if India are to stay in the hunt.

With both Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav back in the hut, India are under immense pressure. With Ishan Kishan also missing from the lineup, it will take a herculean effort from the remaining batters to chase this mammoth target.

The required run rate is creeping up towards 11.5, adding to the challenge. But this also presents a perfect opportunity for Rinku Singh and Sanju Samson to play big innings, not just to keep India in the hunt, but also to boost their confidence ahead of the coming matches.

Varun Chakravarthy has not played the last two T20Is for India, but he has bowled enough in the nets. 

After a heavy duty on Tuesday in India's optional training session, Varun is bowling during the mid-innings break. He has his India shirt on and Morne Morkel, the bowling coach, is keeping wickets. 

There is dew on the field already. At the mid-innings break, the groundstaff have brought on the roller to make it as dry as possible. 

It's not going to be easy for New Zealand.

But, they have given themselves a chance by putting a fighting total of 215 on the board. 

How many overs will India take to chase this down? 15, 16, or 17?

New Zealand may have stumbled in the latter half of their innings, but they’ll be pleased to have crossed the 200-run mark. India do boast a formidable batting lineup, yet with Ishan Kishan absent, the Kiwis can take some heart, believing there’s a genuine chance to restrict the hosts and make the chase a challenging one.

Rinku Singh is everywhere on the field in Vizag. 

He has taken four catches today, equalling a 12-year-old Indian record. 

Ajinkya Rahane took four catches in a match against England in Birmingham in 2014. 

No other Indian player has taken four catches as an outfielder in a T20I innings. 

Daryl Mitchell and Zak Foulkes have started finding the big shots as New Zealand inch closer to the 200-run mark. But overall, the Kiwis will be disappointed with their innings so far.

After such a strong start, they would have been aiming for 220-230, but with the wickets lost in the middle overs, that target now looks increasingly out of reach.

No signs of bringing Hardik Pandya or Shivam Dube into the attack. 

India have used their five bowlers only so far. 

There has been a lot of experimentation in this series and it seems India are trying to make do with only five bowlers here. 

They played an extra specialist bowler, only used five specialists. 

Hardik, for his part, completed that sensational direct hit from short third-man region to run Mitchell Santner out. 

We will bring you details on what the team was thinking later tonight. Stay tuned! 

Hardik Pandya may not have bowled today, but he’s still making his presence felt. What a brilliant direct hit that run out of Mitchell Santner was!

Moments like these can completely shift the momentum, and India are firmly in control now.

Since that opening partnership, the Kiwis have struggled to get going, and Hardik’s brilliance has only added to India’s dominance.

New Zealand are digging themselves deeper, having lost 5 wickets for just 52 runs in around seven overs. Apart from Tim Seifert and Devon Conway, none of the batters have been able to get the scoreboard moving.

India, on the other hand, have been relentless, taking wickets at regular intervals and allowing the Kiwis no breathing space. Skipper Mitchell Santner is at the crease now, and he certainly has his work cut out if New Zealand are to recover from this collapse.

New Zealand are shooting themselves in the foot with a mini-collapse. After Tim Seifert’s dismissal, their in-form man Glenn Phillips has also fallen.

India, meanwhile, will be thrilled with the way they’ve fought back into the contest. The question now: can they tighten the screws even further and put the Kiwis under real pressure?

New Zealand have gone from 100 for 1 in 8.1 overs to 137 for 4 in 19.4 overs. 

Kuldeep Yadav broke the opening partnership and from there on, India have tightened the noose. 

Glenn Phillips tried to go back and hit Kuldeep into the stands over long-on. That's a difficult shot to execute even for a powerful batter like Phillips. His reaction after the wicket tells us that he knew it was the wrong choice of shot. 

Kuldeep has been brilliant today, supported well by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. 

India have already rotated through five bowlers, yet Hardik Pandya hasn’t been called into action. Is Suryakumar Yadav holding him back for the death overs?

With just seven overs remaining, it remains to be seen when Surya turns to Hardik. Meanwhile, New Zealand’s run rate has dipped below 10 for the first time in the innings, giving India a glimmer of hope.

Good thinking from Arshdeep Singh. 

Asked to bowl in the middle overs, he tested Tim Seifert with a slower-ball bouncer first. 

Then he bowled a slower one, much wider from the off-stump, not giving Seifert the change to get close to the ball and whack it. 

Seifert went for it, but was caught at long-off. 

Arshdeep spreads his hands and celebrates the wicket. 

Good thinking over from the left-arm fast bowler so far. 

Just when another partnership was slowly building, another wicket falls. This has been the issue for the Blackcaps throughout the series as they have one big partnership and then the rest just fail to make a significant impact. The track seems to be a batter's paradise and they will need a big score to challenge the Indian side. 

Glenn Phillips, in sensational form, is steadily building a crucial partnership with Tim Seifert—exactly what New Zealand needed after the wickets of Conway and Ravindra. Together, they’ve kept the scoreboard moving, but there’s still plenty of work ahead if they want to push the total past the 200-mark.

New Zealand’s momentum has slowed considerably with the loss of those quick wickets. But Tim Seifert remains at the crease, still punishing the bowlers at a strike rate close to 200.

If India can break through and dismiss Seifert in the next couple of overs, there’s a real chance they could restrict New Zealand to under 200.

Glenn Phillips gets a thick edge to get off the mark. Captain Suryakumar Yadav, who gave a fiery pep talk after the wicket of Rachin Raivindra, doesn't have a slip for the new batter. 

Yes, it's T20Is, but Phillips was new to the crease and Bumrah was in the mood. 

"Rohit bhai always said have a slip to the new batter when is facing up for the first time," quips Yuzvendra Chahal on air. 

India were waiting anxiously for that moment, and Kuldeep Yadav has finally delivered by removing Devon Conway. Seifert and Conway had already stitched together a menacing 100-run stand and were threatening to take the game away.

The big question now is whether India can seize this opening and keep the pressure on the visitors.

What a massive confidence booster for Tim Seifert ahead of the T20 World Cup. The right-hander blazed his way to a half-century off just 25 balls—the joint-fastest by a New Zealander against India—putting him in elite company alongside Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor.

Tim Seifert has gone quiet over the last couple of overs, but Devon Conway has taken over the mantle of big hitting. After going after Ravi Bishnoi, Conway has now laid into Kuldeep Yadav as well.

These are ominous signs for India, with Conway and Seifert building the perfect platform for New Zealand to push towards a 200-plus total.

Well, there is an interruption. Kuldeep Yadav's first over has been interrupted by a dog which sprinted right across the field. 

A top sprint as the dog raced past the players and the leg umpire. 

And the crowd cheered for dog as it went straight pas the boundary without disturbing the play further. 

India's best powerplay bowler Hardik Pandya was not used in the first six overs today! 

Jasprit Bumrah was also expensive. 

New Zealand race to 71 at the end of the sixth over after Devon Conway joined the party, hammering Ravi Bishnoi for 16 runs. 

Keep in mind, Bishnoi gave away just 18 runs in his four over sin Guwahati. Today, he has started with 16 in an over. 

Only Arshdeep Singh was able to keep these two New Zealand openers quiet. Harshit Rana was put under pressure by Tim Seifert. 

An excellent start for New Zealand. 

Pace or spin, it’s made little difference—New Zealand simply haven’t relented. Ravi Bishnoi’s final over of the powerplay went for 16 as the Kiwis continued to pile on the pressure.

It’s been a dream powerplay for the visitors, giving the Indian bowlers no breathing space whatsoever. Devon Conway has now begun to find his rhythm as well, bringing up the landmark of 7,000 T20 runs in the process.

New Zealand race to their fifty in just 4.3 overs, driven largely by Tim Seifert’s ambitious strokeplay. While the Indian bowlers have managed to keep Devon Conway quiet at one end, Seifert has shown no such restraint at the other, playing his shots with ease and authority. India may now be forced to turn to spin to break the momentum.

Aakash Chopra says that playing Shreyas Iyer would have made sense in Vizag. Shreyas was amongst the players who was training hard in the nets on the eve of the match and was also seen having a look at the centre pitch before the game. However, he sits out with India going with an extra bowler. 

Jasprit Bumrah replaces Arshdeep Singh and the pacer gets huge cheers from the crowd. 

"Bumrah, Bumrah" chants ring aloud here. 

The superstar Indian fast bowler needs to do some damage control here as New Zealand have raced to 45 in just 4 overs. 

Harshit Rana got a bit defensive after that assault from Tim Seifert. It appeared as if he was not trying to take wickets, but limit the damage. 

Why go to slower ones when the ball is still new? The young man needs to learn quickly. 

This is the over India desperately needed. Arshdeep Singh may not have picked up a wicket, but he conceded just four runs and hit his lengths perfectly, never allowing Devon Conway to free his arms.

Conway now needs to start finding the boundary; otherwise, the pressure could quickly shift onto Tim Seifert at the other end.

Harshit Rana tried to swing the ball early on in his first over. Tim Seifert tonked one into the stands despite a hint of swing.

The ball is coming onto the bat nicely in Vizag. 

Harshit resorted to slower balls as early as the first over. 

But, they weren't effective. 

From the looks of it, India might be chasing in excess of 200 today.

Keep in mind, this is the same ground where Kolkata Knight Riders posted 272 after batting first in IPL 2024. 

Not great signs for India early on. While Devon Conway has taken his time to settle in, Tim Seifert has thrown caution to the wind, playing his shots fearlessly and allowing the Kiwis to make full use of the powerplay so far.

He’s ridden his luck, but Seifert won’t mind that at all—he’s still there in the middle, keeping New Zealand on the front foot.

Tim Seifert is living a charmed life as he survived twice in the first over. Although he hit three fours on the trot, he could easily have been out twice had two of his leading edges not fallen in no man's land. Nevertheless, the Kiwis will be happy that he's still there, batting and off the mark. 

There is good bounce on offer on this pitch. Arshdeep Singh tried to hit the length and extract movement. There was enough movement to trouble Tim Seifert, but he is lucky to have escaped two top-edges. 

It will be interesting to see how New Zealand approach the powerplay, knowing how well India have chased. 

Harshit Rana with the new ball from the other end.