Visakhapatnam, Jan 28 (IANS) Skipper Mitchell Santner claimed three wickets as New Zealand defeated India by 50 runs in the fourth T20I at the ACA-VDCA Stadium on Wednesday, despite a blistering 65 from Shivam Dube.

After posting 215/7, New Zealand left India, effecting a batter short due to Ishan Kishan’s niggle-enforced absence, struggling at 82/5. Dube then launched a stunning counter-attack, smashing a 15-ball fifty and eventually made 65 off 23 balls – his career-best score in T20Is laced with seven sixes and three fours.

But his dismissal – run out at non-striker’s end off a bowler’s deflection – ended India’s hopes, as they were bowled out for 165 in 18.4 overs. Apart from Santner, New Zealand’s bowlers maintained their control to secure their first win of the series, and offer themselves a timely boost ahead of the Men’s T20 World Cup, despite a mid-innings collapse and Dube’s late assault.

India’s chase began on a disastrous note as Abhishek Sharma fell first ball to Matt Henry after slicing to backward point. Suryakumar Yadav followed soon after, caught and bowled by Jacob Duffy for eight. Sanju Samson and Rinku Singh attempted a rebuild by hitting seven boundaries between themselves.

The pair stitched a 46-run stand before Santner struck in his first over by castling Samson for 24, and followed it up by having Hardik Pandya caught at backward point. Rinku continued to look fluent, before being trapped by Zak Foulkes left India reeling at 87/5. That brought Dube to the crease, and the left-hander immediately changed the complexion of the innings.

He launched Santner for a towering 101m six to get going, and then tore into Ish Sodhi in the 12th over – clearing his front leg and showcasing his brute force to smash four sixes and two fours to collect 29 runs. After surviving an lbw scare, Dube raced to his fifty in just 15 balls – the third-fastest for India in T20Is – by flicking a full toss from Duffy over square leg and kept India’s hopes alive with audacious hitting.

But his innings ended in anti-climactic fashion when he was run out backing up at the non-striker’s end after Matt Henry deflected a straight drive onto the stumps. The dismissal silenced the crowd, who had been lifted by his fireworks. From there, India’s lower order folded quickly, as New Zealand recorded a convincing win.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 215/7 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 62, Devon Conway 44; Arshdeep Singh 2-33, Kuldeep Yadav 2-39) beat India 165 all out in 18.4 overs (Shivam Dube 65, Rinku Singh 39; Mitchell Santner 3-26, Jacob Duffy 2-33) by 50 runs

–IANS

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