HIGHLIGHTS India vs New Zealand, New Zealand in India 5 T20I Series 2026, 4th T20- Result, Scorecard

All in readiness for India's reply to commence. Mitchell Santner leads his men out onto the park. It will be the left-hand, right-hand combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson to open the innings for India. Matt Henry will start with the new ball. Abhishek to face the first ball. Away we go!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

It turned out to be a similar story to Raipur, where New Zealand, after looking promising halfway through their effort, could only manage 208 and India made light work of the chase. Mitchell Santner's side will be hoping the outcome is different this time around. If India do get there, it will be their highest successful run chase in T20Is. What will add to the challenge is that they are a batter short tonight, with Ishan Kishan sidelined due to a niggle. Stay tuned as the chase is coming up shortly.

After being asked to bat first, it was an ideal start for the Kiwis with 71 runs coming off the Powerplay. Tim Seifert took on the Indian new-ball attack early, and after being a mere spectator in the opening exchanges, Devon Conway soon joined the party. The platform had been firmly laid with a 100-run opening stand before India broke through. From there, every time New Zealand looked set to break clear, India responded by nabbing a wicket. Thanks to the late fireworks from Daryl Mitchell, the Kiwis pushed past 210.

New Zealand do get up to 215, but it is one of those occasions where, despite posting such a big total, you feel the batting side may have left a few runs out there and that is very much the case tonight. The Kiwis were 108/2 at the halfway stage and managed 107 runs in the back ten while losing five wickets. India bowled well in patches and applied the brakes through the middle, but didn't quite nail the death overs, with 47 runs coming off the final three.

Harshit Rana to Daryl Mitchell, FOUR! Mitchell manages to get a boundary away with the new bat and ends the innings in style. Slower bumper from Rana, wide outside off. Mitchell has to reach for it and slaps it away wide of the fielder at deep third and it bounces over the ropes. 14 off the final over and New Zealand finish with 215/7 on the board.

Change of bat for Daryl Mitchell. The 12th man, Bevon Jacobs, initially comes out with three bats, but Mitchell sends them back. Eventually, Lockie Ferguson brings out the correct one.

Harshit Rana to Matt Henry, Full and straight at the stumps, Henry manages to heave it away to deep mid-wicket for one more.

Harshit Rana to Daryl Mitchell, Fuller in length and wide outside off again. Mitchell loses his shape as he goes for the big shot and mistimes it on the bounce to long off for a single.

Harshit Rana to Daryl Mitchell, SIX! Clean as a whistle! Full and wide outside off, Daryl Mitchell not only goes deep in the crease but moves past the off stump as well. That allows him to swing straight through the line and he nails it towards the sight screen.

Harshit Rana to Matt Henry, Very full again and just outside off, Henry jams it to the left of the bowler. Mitchell is already halfway down the pitch but Rana can't quite grasp the ball and Henry is able to scamper through safely.

Harshit Rana to Daryl Mitchell, Just a single, India won't mind that one bit. Full-pitched delivery outside off, Mitchell hangs deep and hammers the drive down to long off for a single.

Harshit Rana to close out the innings. He has gone for 40 runs in his three overs so far.

Jasprit Bumrah to Matt Henry, FOUR! Bumrah cannot believe it but Henry rides his luck and brings up the 200 for New Zealand with a boundary. Full and fast, just outside off. Ends up being a low full toss. Henry backs away and goes after it but gets an outside edge that runs away into the deep third fence.

Jasprit Bumrah to Daryl Mitchell, Full and straight again, Mitchell goes deep in the crease but can't get under the ball. Ends up bashing it down to long on for a single.

Jasprit Bumrah to Daryl Mitchell, Full and straight, drilled back by Mitchell. The ball pings the right boot of the bowler in the followthrough and deflects to mid on. The batters pick up a couple of runs.

Jasprit Bumrah to Daryl Mitchell, SIX! Mitchell can do no wrong on this tour. Good-length delivery on off, not full enough to be in the slot but it is a slower one. Mitchell just heaves it over cow corner and the ball sails over the ropes.

Jasprit Bumrah to Daryl Mitchell, A proper short ball now, over middle. Mitchell pulls it but off the upper part off the blade and gets it to the right of Ravi Bishnoi at deep mid-wicket for a brace.

Jasprit Bumrah to Daryl Mitchell, FOUR! Mitchell has nailed that. Back of a length and outside off, Mitchell sets up deep in the crease and drags the pull in front of mid-wicket for a boundary.

Two overs left in the innings. Jasprit Bumrah to bowl the 19th over. Matt Henry has joined Daryl Mitchell, it will be the latter on strike at the start of the over.

Arshdeep Singh to Zakary Foulkes, OUT! CAUGHT! A four-fer in the field for Rinku Singh and he has made a couple of catches look so easy. Arshdeep Singh takes some pace off the ball and serves it on a fuller length. Zakary Foulkes steps inside the line to play the big shot but ends up lifting it straight up. The ball gets skied over mid on where Rinku runs back but does so sideways and takes a fine catch over his left shoulder. Foulkes departs after a couple of good hits and NZ are now 182/7 after 18 overs.

Arshdeep Singh to Zakary Foulkes, Another slower bumper, on off and carries through around head height. Foulkes looks to pull it down but is undone by the lack of pace.

Arshdeep Singh to Zakary Foulkes, SIX! Zakary Foulkes is on the charge. Short ball on leg, rises only upto the hips. Foulkes hangs back and whips it away over deep square leg and picks up a maximum. 14 off the over already.

Arshdeep Singh to Zakary Foulkes, Back to over the wicket. Slower bumper around off, Foulkes hangs back and waits before just angling the half pull behind square leg for a couple of runs.

Arshdeep Singh to Zakary Foulkes, FOUR! Just errs in length, does Singh and pays the price. A low full toss around off, Foulkes gets under it and lofts it over wide mid off for a boundary.

Arshdeep Singh to Zakary Foulkes, WIDE. Arshdeep comes around the wicket now and bashes the hard length but angles it down the leg side for a wide.

Arshdeep Singh to Daryl Mitchell, Pre-meditated from Mitchell. He shuffles across to the off side and exposes all three stumps. Still, Arshdeep goes for the wide yorker and Mitchell slices it down to deep third for a single.

Suryakumar Yadav brings back Arshdeep Singh. 3-0-19-1 so far for Arshdeep.

Jasprit Bumrah to Daryl Mitchell, Slower delivery to end the over. Bowled on a hard length and around off. Mitchell looks to nudge but is beaten past the outside edge. Samson gets a bad bounce and the ball goes past the keeper as the batters collect a bye.

Jasprit Bumrah to Zakary Foulkes, Bumrah nails the yorker now, bowls it right at the base of the off stump. Foulkes manages to dig it out just behind the stumps on the off side and the batters pick up another single.

Jasprit Bumrah to Daryl Mitchell, Full and straight at the stumps, Mitchell drills it to the right of mid off. The fielder is quick to cut it off but the batters get the single.

Jasprit Bumrah to Daryl Mitchell, That's a snorter from Bumrah. A quick short ball now, banged in over middle and this one flies through. Mitchell looks to pull but is well beaten. There is a polite inquiry for a caught behind from the bowler but it is turned down. The keeper, Sanju Samson, likes it and Suryakumar Yadav goes for the review. The third umpire checks UltraEdge and there's no spike as the ball travels over the gloves. It stays NOT OUT.

Jasprit Bumrah to Daryl Mitchell, A slower bumper over middle, Mitchell pulls it away behind square leg and picks up a couple of runs.

The crease has a new occupant in Zakary Foulkes. It will be Daryl Mitchell on strike for now.

Jasprit Bumrah to Mitchell Santner, OUT! MITCHELL SANTNER IS RUN OUT! A brilliant piece of fielding from Hardik Pandya and the New Zealand skipper has to walk back. On a good length and around off, Santner nudges it down to short third. Daryl Mitchell calls him through for a quick single but Pandya has the presence of mind to throw it at the bowler's end and Santner puts in the dive. The direct hit is found and replays show that even with the dive, Santner is short of his crease.

Direct hit from Hardik Pandya! Has the dive saved Mitchell Santner? The third umpire is called into action. The replays show that Santner is just short despite the desperate dive.

Jasprit Bumrah (2-0-15-1) is back.

Ravi Bishnoi to Mitchell Santner, Shortish length, angling across off, Santner backs away and punches it to deep cover for one. 11 runs and a wicket off Bishnoi's last over.

Ravi Bishnoi to Mitchell Santner, SIX! That's glorious from the Kiwi skipper. Length ball on the stumps, Santner gets onto the front foot and swings through the line, lifting it high and handsome over the bowler's head for a biggie.

Ravi Bishnoi to Mitchell Santner, FOUR! Shorter in length and wide outside off, Mitchell Santner stands tall and gets his hands through the ball, hammering it in frot of point for a boundary.

Ravi Bishnoi to Mitchell Santner, Was there an inside edge on it? The reaction from the bowler says it all. Good length angled across off, Santner backs away to cut again but gets a faint inside edge through to the keeper. Sanju Samson hurries to pouch it but fumbles and the ball hits the pad before going down. Actually, UltraEdge later shows that there was no inside edge.

Ravi Bishnoi to Mitchell Santner, Beaten! Flatter googly, darts away from the off stump whilst staying low. Santner backs away to cut but misses.

In walks the skipper, Mitchell Santner.

Ravi Bishnoi to Mark Chapman, OUT! CAUGHT! Another Kiwi batter holds out in the deep and they are bleeding wickets right now. Ravi Bishnoi bowls it a bit shorter and angles it away from middle and leg. Mark Chapman stays deep in the crease, leans across to get inside the line but slogs it high up in the air. The ball sails towards deep backward square leg but there's not enough power on it. Harshit Rana settles just inside the ropes and pouches it nicely. New Zealand are 152/5.

Kuldeep Yadav is done with his spell. The other frontline spinner, Ravi Bishnoi, now comes back in to bowl his final over as well.

Harshit Rana to Daryl Mitchell, SIX! That has gone back many a mile, probably the biggest hit of the night so far. Harshit serves the off-cutter but this is on the fuller side. Mitchell expects the line to be a bit wide and he walks across to get closer to the ball. He clubs it a long way back over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.

Harshit Rana to Daryl Mitchell, At 121.3 kph, on a back of a good length, outside off. Mitchell does not pick the change of pace and swings early. He misses as the ball goes under the blade.

Harshit Rana to Mark Chapman, Dug in short, on middle, Chapman gets his hands high and pulls it in front of deep square leg for a run.

Harshit Rana to Mark Chapman, FOUR! Hit hard and wide enough! From around the wicket, a length ball angled in, on middle. Chapman plays the drive on the up and hits it over the head of Mitchell at the other end. Rinku is not far away at long on but he is well beaten to his right.

Harshit Rana to Daryl Mitchell, Off-cutter, keeping it full and wide on off. Mitchell drags it down to long on. Single taken.

Harshit Rana to Mark Chapman, On a back of a length, on middle, Chapman nudges it through mid-wicket and takes the single.

Just the five bowlers used by India in this game. Will we see an over or two from someone like Shivam Dube? Doesn't seem like it as Harshit Rana is back into the attack.

Kuldeep Yadav to Mark Chapman, Flighted, full and on off, driven to long off for a single by Chapman.

Kuldeep Yadav to Daryl Mitchell, Very full, on middle. Mitchell plays the reverse paddle to short third and gets off the mark with a single.

Another wicket falls and out comes the new batter. Daryl Mitchell replaces Glenn Phillips.

Kuldeep Yadav to Glenn Phillips, OUT! CAUGHT! Third catch for Rinku Singh. India continue to chip away. Flatter and shorter, on middle. Phillips uses the depth of the crease and backs away slightly. He looks to go back over the bowler's head with a straight bat and gets his hands out in front. He does not quite go through with the shot and fails to get the desired connection on the lofted hit. Rinku sprints to his left and hops to complete the catch around his chest whilst staying side on. 24 (16) for Glenn. New Zealand are now 137/4.

Kuldeep Yadav to Mark Chapman, Wrong'un, on a nagging length, on middle. Mark checks his drive and plays it down to long on. They cross.

Kuldeep Yadav to Mark Chapman, Wide! Pushed through, wide on off, Chapman lets it go.

Kuldeep Yadav to Glenn Phillips, Full and on the pads, Glenn wrists it square on the leg side for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Glenn Phillips, SIX! Launched down the ground! Floated up, googly, full and on off. A step hit from Phillips as he swivels the back foot round in the crease before swinging through the line and smoking it over the long off fence for a six. 100th maximum in T20Is for Phillips, the 3rd Kiwi batter to achieve this feat.

Kuldeep Yadav switches ends and will bowl out here. 3-0-28-1, so far for KD.

Arshdeep Singh to Mark Chapman, A quick bouncer, outside off, Mark rises with the bounce but he eventually drops his wrists and sways away. End of a successful over for Arshdeep and India. The wicket of Seifert and 2 runs off it.

Arshdeep Singh to Glenn Phillips, Full and around leg, Phillips works it behind squuare and crosses over.

Arshdeep Singh to Glenn Phillips, On top of off, on a back of a length, Phillips dabs it from the crease to backward point.

Arshdeep Singh to Mark Chapman, In the channel, on a good length, Chapman punches it through covers and gets off the mark with a single.

Twice now that the pacers have returned to the attack and picked up a wicket almost instantly. Mark Chapman walks out to bat at number 5 for New Zealand.

Arshdeep Singh to Tim Seifert, OUT! TAKEN! The bowling change works for India. Arshdeep takes all the pace off, not as short as the previous ball. On a back of a length, outside off. Seifert extends his hands and slaps it down the ground with a flat bat. Neither does he get the elevation nor is it wide enough. Hits it flat and straight down the throat of long off, where Rinku Singh runs in off the ropes and takes the catch around his waist. End of a fine knock from Tim Seifert, 62 runs off 36 balls. New Zealand are now 126/3.

Arshdeep Singh to Tim Seifert, Arshdeep slams the off-cutter into the surface, across off. Seifert is across his stumps early and waits for an eternity for the ball to arrive. He hops to get it away past short fine leg but misses it completely.

Arshdeep Singh (2-0-17-0) is brought back into the attack.

Ravi Bishnoi to Tim Seifert, Back to bowling it short and quicker through the air, on middle. Tim knocks it to long on for a single. 10 runs off the over.

Ravi Bishnoi to Glenn Phillips, Wrong'un, fuller and on middle, Phillips picks it from the hand and works it through mid-wicket. They cross.

Ravi Bishnoi to Glenn Phillips, FOUR! Powerful hit! Bishnoi drags it down, on off, Phillips presses on the back foot and hammers it all along the ground. Hardik Pandya does not have much distance to cover at long off but the races past his left.

Ravi Bishnoi to Glenn Phillips, Phillips will feel that he missed out! Full and fired in at the pads, Glenn glances it straight to short fine leg.

Ravi Bishnoi to Glenn Phillips, FOUR! Ravi Bishnoi can only smile. Bishnoi slides it on the pads, on a length, Glenn looks to lap it over the keeper. He follows the line of the ball with his hands and just uses the pace of it. He directs the scoop to the right of short fine leg for a four.

Ravi Bishnoi to Glenn Phillips, Beaten! This skids through, short and outside off, Phillips goes hard on the cut but he is beaten for pace.

Just one over for Jasprit Bumrah in the middle phase to try and shake things up, which did work out for India. Back to spin from both ends as Ravi Bishnoi returns to the attack.

Kuldeep Yadav to Glenn Phillips, Another decent over from Kuldeep in the context of the game. 8 runs off it. Shorter and on middle, Phillips rocks back and punches it to long on for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Glenn Phillips, Quicker through the air, fuller and at the sticks. Glenn taps it off the back foot to cover.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tim Seifert, Out comes the googly, short and on middle. Seifert whips it through mid-wicket for one.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tim Seifert, Wide! Slides it across the right-hander, full and wide on off, Tim reaches out but does not connect.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tim Seifert, Flat and short, on off, Tim punches it to cover.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tim Seifert, FOUR! In the gap! Kuldeep loops it up, googly on middle, Tim drops on a knee for the slog sweep. He does not quite get a clean connection. Gets more height than distance on it. Rana moves to his left from deep backward square leg. He opts against putting a dive and the ball bounces past him for a four.

Kuldeep Yadav to Glenn Phillips, Flighted delivery, on middle, Phillips pushes it down to long off and crosses over.

Kuldeep Yadav will continue.

Jasprit Bumrah to Tim Seifert, Half an appeal for LBW but Bumrah instantly signals that theremight have been an inside edge. Bumrah goes wider on the crease and spears a good-length delivery into the stumps. Tim Seifert gets caught on the crease and looks to block but the ball darts back in and pings him on the front pad. Probably angling down leg as well. NZ are 109/2 at the halfway mark of the innings.

Jasprit Bumrah to Tim Seifert, Shorter in length and around off, Seifert rises with the bounce and drops it back onto the deck.

Jasprit Bumrah to Glenn Phillips, Good running. Full and straight, Phillips stays back in the crease and digs it towards mid off for a quick single. Both of these batters are super quick between the wickets.

Jasprit Bumrah to Glenn Phillips, Hard length around off, tapped down straight to covers by Phillips.

Jasprit Bumrah to Glenn Phillips, FOUR! An educated edge, Phillips will say. Back of a length, angled in over off but just nips away. Glenn Phillips presses back and just edges it down with soft hands, and the ball runs away into the deep third fence.

DRINKS BREAK! A couple of quick wickets for India, but New Zealand have finally got the kind of start that had been missing, especially in the last couple of games where they were asked to set totals on the board. On a belter of a batting wicket and with the platform they have built, the Kiwis will know they need to push well beyond 200 to stand a chance against this Indian batting unit. As for the home side, the only way to limit the damage is by continuing to chip away at the wickets. Suryakumar Yadav is seen having an animated conversation with his troops in the huddle. Time to resume. Glenn Phillips has joined Seifert out in the centre.

Jasprit Bumrah to Rachin Ravindra, OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! Rachin Ravindra's miserable run of form continues and Jasprit Bumrah is pumped up after taking that wicket. Bumrah strides in from over the wicket and bowls a slower length ball at around 121 kph, but he does brilliantly to keep the arm speed the same. Rachin fails to pick it up and looks to flick it away but ends up closing the bat face a lot sooner. The ball gets chipped back to the bowler and Bumrah snaffles it in his followthrough. Ravindra departs for 2 (4) and NZ go from 100/0 to 103/2 now.

Jasprit Bumrah returns.

Kuldeep Yadav to Rachin Ravindra, Nicely flighted around middle, Ravindra leans on and eases it through mid on for another single. 9 runs and a wicket off that over.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tim Seifert, On a dragged length, angling across off. Seifert stays on the back foot and taps it down to long off for one more.

Kuldeep Yadav to Rachin Ravindra, Quick and flat at the stumps, Rachin rocks back and jams the ball down to long on for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Rachin Ravindra, Tossed up, full and on middle, Ravindra clips it firmly but the fielder at mid-wicket does well to cut it off to his right.

A much-needed breakthrough for India. Any chance we see Daryl Mitchell coming up in the order tonight? Well, it won't be at number 3, as Rachin Ravindra has walked out.

Kuldeep Yadav to Devon Conway, OUT! TAKEN! The 100 comes up and a wicket goes down. Smartly bowled by Kuldeep Yadav as he tosses the ball up but pushes it wide of the off stump. Devon Conway is enticed into the big shot and he looks to smash it over covers but gets more height than distance. The ball travels straight down the throat of the fielder at deep cover and Rinku Singh gobbles it up. Conway's quickfire knock of 44 (23) comes to an end and New Zealand are 100/1 after 8.2 overs.

Kuldeep Yadav to Devon Conway, SIX! This is sensational hitting and the 100 is already up for New Zealand. Fuller delivery angled into the pads, Conway sits down and manages to get the front leg out of the way before slogging it over deep square leg for a maximum.

We are yet to see Hardik Pandya being introduced. Is it time? Nope. Kuldeep Yadav to continue.

Ravi Bishnoi to Devon Conway, Good length outside off, punched away firmly to the right of covers. The fielder over there dives across and parries it behind, taking the sting off the ball. Single taken.

Ravi Bishnoi to Devon Conway, FOUR! Conway is looking at his best right now. Flat and full, pushed wide of the off stump. Conway gets low and extends the arms, smacking it flat over covers for another boundary.

Ravi Bishnoi to Tim Seifert, Tossed up on middle, lofted away on the bounce to the fielder at long off for a single.

Ravi Bishnoi to Tim Seifert, FOUR! Oh, a bit unfortunate for the bowler but Seifert won't mind it one bit. Tossed up, on a good length and on leg. Seifert makes room to pull but gets an inside edge. The ball goes past the stumps and rolls away into the fine leg fence.

Ravi Bishnoi to Devon Conway, Dragged length outside off, eased away off the back foot through covers for a single.

Ravi Bishnoi to Tim Seifert, FIFTY for Tim Seifert, equals the record for the fastest half century against India by a Kiwi in T20Is, as mentioned by Simon Doull on-air. Bowled flat and on off, Seifert just punches it with a straight bat down to long off and picks up a single. 50 off just 25 balls.

Kuldeep Yadav to Devon Conway, SIX! That's gone deep into the stands. Kuldeep offers a bit more flight and lands it right in the slot around middle. Devon Conway sits down and whacks it a long way over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. What seemed like a very tidy over for India has ended up fetching 11 runs for NZ.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tim Seifert, Flighted ball, fuller on middle and leg. Seifert sits down and sweeps it fine but there is a fielder at deep backward square leg, who mops it up. Another single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Devon Conway, Pushed through flatter on the pads, tucked away neatly behind square leg for one more.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tim Seifert, Oh, that could have easily gone straight back to the bowler. Floated up on middle, it is the wrong'un and Seifert doesn't pick it up. He looks to flick it away but gets a leading edge that loops up well over the bowler's head and Seifert gets a single.

Kuldeep Yadav to Devon Conway, Nicely flighted, drifting into leg stump. Conway sets up for the big slog sweep but ends up getting an inside edge through backward square leg for a single.

A slight hold-up as the pitch invader is being taken away by the security personnel.

Kuldeep Yadav to Tim Seifert, On a nagging length around middle, Seifert presses back and tucks it past square leg for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav comes in the attack.

Ravi Bishnoi to Devon Conway, SIX! Oh, Conway has walloped that away and NZ end the Powerplay at 71/0. Flatter delivery at the stumps, Conway clears the front leg and swings it away in front of mid-wicket for a biggie. 16 off Bishnoi's first over.

Ravi Bishnoi to Devon Conway, FOUR! This time, Conway nails the cut. Short ball, curving away from the left-hander. Conway rocks back and slaps it a tad uppishly but between point and covers for a boundary.

Ravi Bishnoi to Devon Conway, Another shortish ball outside off, punched away through the gap at covers this time for a couple of runs.

Ravi Bishnoi to Devon Conway, Misses out again, does Devon. Another googly, wide outside off but stays low. Conway throws his hands at it but straight to the cover fielder.

Ravi Bishnoi to Devon Conway, FOUR! Up and over. A bit of a drag-down from Bishnoi, over middle. Conway rocks back and hoicks it over wide mid on for a boundary. Devon Conway also brings up 7000 runs in T20s with that boundary.

Ravi Bishnoi to Devon Conway, There to be hit but Conway can't find the gap. Short and angled well across off, Conway hammers the cut to the left of point but Abhishek Sharma scampers across and makes the stop.

Ravi Bishnoi now comes in to bowl the final over of the Powerplay.

Jasprit Bumrah to Tim Seifert, At 141.6 kph, yorker, at the toes. Seifert gets the front pad out of the firing line and jams it out to mid-wicket.

Jasprit Bumrah to Devon Conway, Full, on middle and leg, Conway flicks it through square leg and turns the strike over.

Jasprit Bumrah to Tim Seifert, Bumrah responds with a short ball, over middle. Tim is rushed and the ball gets big on him on the pull. Gets more of a top edge but it goes in front of deep square leg. A single taken.

Jasprit Bumrah to Tim Seifert, SIX! Straight as an arrow! On the fuller side, on off, Tim is quick to pick up the length. He clears the front leg and swings through the line. He tonks it back over the bowler's head, towards the sight screen for a six. 50 comes up for New Zealand.

Jasprit Bumrah to Devon Conway, Hits the hard length, on off, Conway angles it behind point off the back foot for a quick single.

Jasprit Bumrah to Tim Seifert, On a good length, in and around the off stump, Seifert pushes it with an angled bat to mid on for a single.

The first bowling change of the game. Jasprit Bumrah comes in to replace Arshdeep Singh. Bumrah has to reload as Tim Seifert has something in his eye and asks the bowler to wait.

Harshit Rana to Devon Conway, Not given as a wide! Fuller, around leg, Devon gets inside the line for the scoop but misses. The ball sneaked inside the new wide guideline and was not far away from the leg pole.

Harshit Rana to Devon Conway, FOUR! Nicely done! From around the wicket, on a short of a good length at 133 kph, on off. Conway lets the ball come to him and steers it with an open bat face. Arshdeep Singh dives to his left at short third but is beaten.

Harshit Rana to Tim Seifert, Rana bangs it in short, on off, Tim mistimes the pull in front of long on. They cross.

Harshit Rana to Tim Seifert, Bashes the hard length, outside off. Tim has a flap at it but is beaten for pace.

Harshit Rana to Tim Seifert, FOUR! Absolutely crunched! Harshit bowls it full and quick, outside off. Fast hands from Seifert as he smashes it between cover and mid off. It races away to the fence in a flash.

Harshit Rana to Tim Seifert, SIX! Just over! Rana bowls the off-cutter, on a length, on off, Tim swings through the line and takes on the long on fielder. He does not quite get hold of it but gets enough bat on it to clear the leaping Kuldeep Yadav at long on for a six.

Bowling change? No, Harshit Rana to bowl two on the trot as well.

Arshdeep Singh to Tim Seifert, Seifert knows that there is no one at fine leg. He walks across for the scoop but it comes out as a knee-high full toss from Arshdeep. Tim fails to get the desired connection on the scoop as he falls over. Toe-ends it to square leg for a single.

Arshdeep Singh to Devon Conway, Pace on, on a length, on off, this is punched away to deep point for a single.

Arshdeep Singh to Devon Conway, A swing and a miss! Arshdeep takes all the pace off and goes full, outside off. Conway gets low and has a swing across the line. He does not pick the change of pace and swings early. As a result, he does not connect.

Arshdeep Singh to Devon Conway, Good hit but straight to the fielder! Arshdeep digs it in short, outside off, Conway rises on his toes and drags the pull. He hits it well but picks out the mid-wicket fielder.

Arshdeep Singh to Tim Seifert, On middle and leg, on a length, Tim smears it away in front of deep square leg for a single.

Arshdeep Singh to Devon Conway, Leg bye! Too full, on the pads, Conway misses out on the tickle. A leg bye is taken as the ball goes behind off the pads.

Exciting start to the game. New Zealand are going hell for leather right now and it will be Arshdeep Singh to continue.

Harshit Rana to Tim Seifert, FOUR! Powered away! Harshit pitches it up, on off, Tim extends his hands and plays the lofted drive over wide mid off for a boundary. Harshit goes for 12 runs in his first over.

Harshit Rana to Tim Seifert, Rana bends his back and bashes the surface, on off, Tim waits on the slower ball and although the ball gets a bit big on him, he manages to swat it away, playing a tennis forehand over cover for a couple of runs.

Harshit Rana to Tim Seifert, Just short! Rana hurls it full, on off, Tim clears the front leg and gets his hands through the ball. He does not get any elevation and powers the drive on the bounce to mid off.

Harshit Rana to Tim Seifert, Pace off and into the surface, on off, Seifert stays back and stabs it down on the track.

Harshit Rana to Tim Seifert, SIX! Clean as a whistle! Fuller and around off, Seifert gets the front leg out of the way and pumps it over long on for a biggie.

Harshit Rana to Tim Seifert, Angling in, on a back of a length, on middle. Tim walks across the stumps and attempts the scoop but misses.

It will be Harshit Rana to operate from the other end.

Arshdeep Singh to Tim Seifert, Shaping back in, yorker, at the toes, Tim digs it out hurriedly and the ball goes behind on the leg side. A single. 14 runs off the first over!

Arshdeep Singh to Tim Seifert, FOUR! Another top edge but this time, Jasprit Bumrah stands no chance. Fuller and on middle, Tim has a hoick across the line. The ball catches the top edge and goes over short third. One bounce and over the ropes.

Arshdeep Singh to Tim Seifert, FOUR! Nothing edgy about this one! Going across the right-hander, on a back of a length. Seifert stands tall and slams it down the ground. He clears mid off and picks up a four.

Arshdeep Singh to Tim Seifert, FOUR! Top edge but Seifert gets away with it. On a good length, on middle. Tim has a swipe across the line. The ball leaves him in the air. Gets a top edge that goes over short third. Jasprit Bumrah turned around and went after it but never managed to settle under it. The ball swirls in the air, and Bumrah stretches his right hand out but only gets fingertips to it. It bounces and trickles behind for a four.

Arshdeep Singh to Tim Seifert, A bit of extra bounce again, moving away, on a short of a length. Seifert gets on his toes and drops it down beside the strip on the off side.

Arshdeep Singh to Devon Conway, Whoa! That took Conway by surprise. On a back of a length, on middle. Conway hangs back to deal with it. The ball kicks up and jags back in to put Devon in an awkward position. Conway fends it down in front of point for a single.

We are all set for the game to begin. The umpires are out in the middle and the Indian team can be seen in a huddle before taking to the field. The bell is rung signalling the start of the match. Devon Conway and Tim Seifert are all set to open the innings for New Zealand. Arshdeep Singh has the new ball in hand and he is raring to go. Let's play...

PITCH REPORT - Deep Dasgupta is pitchside. He starts by saying that the pitch being used today is right in the center and the square boundaries are 65 meters on either side, with the straight boundary being 74 meters. Former Kiwi pacer, Simon Doull, joins him and says that it looks like a belter of a pitch with an even covering of straw grass on it. They both reckon that the pitch is rock hard and the team batting first will have to get plenty of runs as the dew will also come into effect later on.

The captain of New Zealand - Mitchell Santner says that the dew has already started to settle in, which could make things increasingly difficult later in the evening for the bowlers. Acknowledges the quality of this Indian team and believes that they need to be on the ball from ball one. Mentions that this looks like a good batting wicket and they will look to put a big total on the board. Santner says the group is gradually coming together, with Finn Allen set to join the squad soon. He adds that James Neesham is still not well and remains unavailable for selection. Informs that they have made one change with Zakary Foulkes coming in for Kyle Jamieson.

The captain of India - Suryakumar Yadav says that they will bowl first and adds that they saw a lot of dew last night while practising. Adds that it is crucial to repeat the good things they have done in the past and entertain the crowd. Mentions that they have one change as Arshdeep Singh comes in for Ishan Kishan, who has a bit of a niggle, and Axar Patel is still recovering, so the batters will have to take a bit more responsibility.

New Zealand (Playing XI) - Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (WK), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (C), Zakary Foulkes (In for Kyle Jamieson), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi and Jacob Duffy.

India (Playing XI) - Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh (In for Ishan Kishan).

TOSS - Suryakumar Yadav and Mitchell Santner are out in the middle. For the third game in a row, the flip of the coin lands in favour of the 'Men in Blue.' India elect to FIELD first.

Conditions in focus - As you'd expect at most grounds in India at this time of the year, teams will be keen to chase, given the likelihood of dew. It was here that India pulled off their joint-highest successful run chase at this ground against Australia in 2023, where they chased down 209. Moreover, recent numbers only strengthen that trend. During the 2025 Andhra Premier League held here in August-September, 10 of the 12 evening games were won by the side chasing. Stay tuned, as the flip of the coin is not far away.

New Zealand eager to respond - You could argue that the Kiwis are not quite at full strength with the absence of Finn Allen and James Neesham as far as their batting goes, but in games two and three, this has largely been the bowling combination they are expected to take into the World Cup. Conditions, however, have also influenced the narrative. The first three matches have been played on surfaces that heavily favoured the batters. That may not be the case in Chennai, where New Zealand are scheduled to play three of their four group games at the World Cup.

Most boxes ticked for India - Across departments, there is a sense of clarity and confidence. The batting has depth, the bowling has variety, and the overall balance of the side appears close to what the think tank envisions for the World Cup. However, there is that one box they would want to tick before the series ends. Sanju Samson has struggled for runs at the top of the order, and as a result, the final two games take on added significance.

Hello and welcome, everyone! From the eastern part of India in Guwahati, the teams have now made the journey south, where the remainder of the series will be played across two coastal venues. Vizag hosts the fourth T20I, before the action moves further down the coast to Thiruvananthapuram to round off the series.

... MATCH DAY ...

Action moves to Vizag - Three games done out of five, and India have been thoroughly dominant, taking an unassailable lead in the series. New Zealand have been left searching for answers so far and will be hoping to put on a much better show at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium. India lay down a marker - India have sounded a strong warning to the rest of the world ahead of the World Cup. Getting past this side will take some doing. The Men in Blue have cruised home comfortably while chasing in the last couple of games, and in the opening match, they put up a daunting total of 238. Amid all of this, pressure appears to be mounting on Sanju Samson after three low scores. With Ishan Kishan performing the way he has, there is a real possibility that he could open at the World Cup alongside Abhishek Sharma, with Tilak Varma pencilled in at number three, provided he is fully fit by then. Tilak was ruled out of the first three games due to an abdominal issue and was expected to return for games four and five, but his recovery has taken longer than anticipated. As a result, Shreyas Iyer continues with the squad as his replacement, and with the series already sealed, it remains to be seen whether he gets a game. Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy were rested in Guwahati, and we could see more rotation from the Indian think tank as they look to manage workloads and keep players fresh heading into the upcoming global event. New Zealand searching for answers - It has been a difficult series so far for the Kiwis, with results not going their way and questions beginning to pile up. They have struggled to match India's intensity, both with the bat and the ball, and will be desperate to show more fight in this game. In all three matches, early wickets in the powerplay have set them back significantly, and that is an area they will be keen to address. Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra have not made the kind of impact expected of them in this series, and their spots do appear to be under the scanner heading into the World Cup. With Finn Allen coming off a remarkable BBL and expected to partner Tim Seifert at the World Cup, it could be possible that only one of Conway or Ravindra may feature in the final combination. James Neesham has linked up with the squad and was set to feature in Guwahati before picking up a stomach bug. If he does return, he will add valuable balance with both bat and ball. Whether it has been pace or spin, New Zealand's bowlers have found no respite against the onslaught from the Indian batters. They will need to find a way to contain this power-packed Indian batting unit if they are to stay competitive in Vizag. Team form (Last 5 completed T20Is, most recent first) - IND - WWWWW | NZ - LLLWW. What to expect? In the last international game played in Vizag in December last year, India chased down 271 in an ODI against South Africa with ease, losing just a single wicket. Batting became noticeably easier under lights due to the dew compared to the daytime, a trend that was also evident during the Women's World Cup matches held here last year. As has often been the case in this series, 7 pm starts have meant that dew has set in even before a ball has been bowled. That means the toss is not necessarily the be-all and end-all. While batting second may still hold its advantages, the side bowling first might also have to deal with dewy conditions right from the outset. Another fascinating contest awaits.