Shivam Dube’s Tandav was not enough on Wednesday as India’s T20I marauding freight train halted New Zealand in Visakhapatnam. The six strikes that had the crowd chanting his name could not mask India’s stunning display with both bat and ball. After being bowled out for 215, India were unable to repeat the heroics of Indore or Guwahati, managing only 165 in 18.4 overs, falling short by 50 runs.
Dube is back to his besthammered seven sixes and three boundaries in a blistering 23-ball 65. He took the lead as India reeled at 82 for 5 in the 11th over after the failure of the big guns – Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson — at the top of the order. By the time he left, India had moved to 145 for 6 in the 16th over, still a long way from the finish line.
IND vs NZ 4th T20I: Highlights | Scorecard
Still, Dube’s stay was worth every penny. He tore into Ish Sodhi and underlined again how destructive he can be against quality spin. With three towering sixes and two boundaries, Dube breathed life into India’s innings as they reeled at 85 for 5 in the 10th over.
He followed that up in the very next over by dispatching Jacob Duffy for two more sixes, also showcasing his range and power at pace.
But it wasn’t supposed to be a fairytale ending. Dube rode with luck until the 15th over when it finally came. He hit some monster shots but some of them were teasing chances for the New Zealand fielders patrolling the ropes. He had earlier survived a close LBW call – one that even Dube himself thought was out – only for replay to reveal a strong inside edge.
Finally, his luck left him in a cruel way. Dube ended up at the non-striker’s end after Matt Henry deflected Harshit Rana’s wild drive onto the stumps.
Henry’s reaction told its own story. He celebrated as he pounced on a toe-crushing yorker to shatter Dube’s stumps – pure relief that New Zealand’s chief tormentor was finally on his way back to the pavilion.
NEW ZEALAND GIVE INDIA A DOSE OF ITS OWN MEDICINE
earlier in the day India opted to go with just five specialist bowlers despite listing seven bowling variants in the playing XI. Arshdeep Singh came in for Ishan Kishan as the other front-line seamer, a move that inevitably put more responsibility on the batsmen. It also underlined India’s intention to work with a five-bowler strategy – a plan they stuck to firmly even as their new bowlers were taken over during the power-play.
Arshdeep managed to mine some movement early but the bit of green on offer didn’t quite work in his favour. Tim Seifert enjoyed a bit of luck when the top edge fell agonizingly short of Jasprit Bumrah at third man. The New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman followed that up with a flat wide delivery and then found the boundary again with a thick outside edge – three fours at the end.
Seifert took full advantage of the early reprieve, boosting his confidence and taking Harshit Rana to the cleaners in the powerplay. Retained for the next game in the series, the young fast bowler curiously turned to the slower balls in his very first over and paid the price, conceding 12 runs. With the ball still hard and offering some nip, Harshit went into damage control mode instead of attacking the wickets – an approach Seifert chastised.
However, Arshdeep stayed true to his strengths. After a tough innings, he bounced back strongly and conceded just four runs in the next over.
India hung on with Harshit for the fourth over and Seifert went after him again. The first ball was dropped into the stands and the change of pace that followed didn’t do much to stem the flow. Seifert conceded 15 runs from the over, tilting New Zealand’s momentum further.
Jasprit Bumrah was introduced in the fifth over to a rousing reception from the Vizag crowd, but Seifert kept pushing. He welcomed Bumrah by throwing him back over his head and into the stands. Bumrah’s first over went for 11 as Seifert and Devon Conway cleverly turned the strike around for a six.
India chose not to use Hardik Pandya – usually a power-bowl option – in the first six overs and handed over the responsibility of closing the phase to Ravi Bishnoi. Bishnoi was miserable in Guwahati, conceding just 18 runs in four overs in the third T20I, but Vizag presented a different challenge.
This time he ran into Conway who wanted to join the party. The left-hander didn’t hesitate and launched into the spinner with cross-hitting long balls fired into the pitch.
New Zealand raced to 71 in the powerplay — their highest powerplay total against India in a T20I.
Conway and Seifert continued to push even after the shooting restrictions were lifted. Conway, in particular, developed his pull stroke effectively against spinners and adopted a more aggressive role once the ring was spread.
Seifert brought up his half-century from just 25 balls – his first of the series – as New Zealand surged to 100 in eight overs. Ravi Bishnoi carried the brunt of the attack without taking a breather in his opening two overs.
India finally found a breakthrough when Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Conway who was starting to look increasingly dangerous. Kuldeep forced Conway into an inside-out shot that went straight to Rinka Singh at deep cover.
One became two almost immediately when Bumrah removed Rachin Ravindra – struggling for form – with a well-disguised slower ball off the first delivery of the 10th over.
The double strikes halted New Zealand’s momentum briefly before Arshdeep struck the crucial blow in the 13th over to remove Seifert. After Arshdeep unsettled him with a bouncer with a slower ball, he followed it up with another wide slower delivery that Seifert hit to Rink at long off.
Glenn Phillips, who came in at No. 4, tried to bring some momentum but took the wrong option – a back-foot shot aimed at settling long-on – and threw away a promising start to depart for 24 against Kuldeep Yadav.
The New Zealand innings then lost further pace, managing just 37 runs in 5.3 overs between the ninth and fourteenth overs.
Mark Chapman’s struggles in the series continued as he only made 11 before Ravi Bishnoi took the only wicket of the night. From an impressive 100 not out, New Zealand slumped to 152 for 5.
Daryl Mitchell fought a lone battle to the death to ensure New Zealand crossed the 200-run mark. At one stage when Conway and Mitchell went hammer and tongs, a total of over 220 looked on the cards, but the middle overs cost them the momentum.
Mitchell Santner attempted a small counter-attack on arrival but was cut short by a brilliant direct hit by Hardik Pandya in the 17th over, leaving New Zealand 163 for 6.
Zak Foulkes swung freely, delivering two lusty blows in Arshdeep Singh’s final over but perished on 13 with two overs to spare.
Mitchell, however, had the last word. In the 19th over, he dismantled Jasprit Bumrah – a rare sight – plundering 19 runs. He then executed the strike expertly and squeezed another 14 off the final over, giving the Black Caps a valuable late surge of 33 runs in the last two overs.
New Zealand would do well to give Mitchell more time at the crease. Batting at No.6 and knocking ever so impressively is another reminder that the former Chennai Super Kings batter is well-suited to a role higher up the order.
– The end
Published on:
January 28, 2026
