In Visakhapatnam, on January 28, Tim Seifert's sensational innings of 62 and captain Mitchell Santner's three-wicket haul propelled New Zealand to a decisive 50-run triumph over India in the fourth T20I at the ACA-VDCA Stadium on Wednesday, even with a remarkable 65 from Shivam Dube.

Seifert initiated New Zealand's innings with an aggressive performance during the powerplay, scoring 62 off just 36 balls, featuring seven fours and three sixes. Devon Conway supported him well, contributing 44 runs off 23 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes, before Kuldeep Yadav broke their momentum by dismissing him.

India made a comeback in the middle overs, thanks to Kuldeep and Arshdeep Singh, who each claimed two wickets. However, Daryl Mitchell's unbeaten 39 off 18 balls, which included two fours and three sixes, allowed New Zealand to finish strong at 215/7.

In their chase, India faced difficulties early on, losing key players, including Ishan Kishan due to injury, and found themselves at 82/5. Dube then launched a counter-offensive, scoring a blistering 15-ball fifty and finishing with 65 runs off 23 balls, marking his career-best in T20Is with seven sixes and three fours.

However, his run-out - a deflection off a bowler's hand - dashed India's hopes as they were bowled out for 165 in 18.4 overs. Santner's bowling performance was instrumental, as New Zealand achieved their first win of the series, boosting their confidence ahead of the Men's T20 World Cup.

India's innings suffered a terrible start when Abhishek Sharma was dismissed on the first ball by Matt Henry. Suryakumar Yadav followed soon after, caught and bowled by Jacob Duffy for eight runs. Sanju Samson and Rinku Singh attempted to stabilize the innings, hitting seven boundaries together.

They formed a 46-run partnership before Santner struck, dismissing Samson for 24 and then taking Hardik Pandya's wicket as well. Rinku looked promising until he was caught by Zak Foulkes, leaving India at 87/5. Enter Dube, who immediately changed the game.

He hit Santner for a massive 101m six and then launched an assault on Ish Sodhi, scoring 29 runs in one over with four sixes and two fours. After surviving an lbw scare, Dube reached his fifty in just 15 balls, making it the third-fastest for India in T20Is.

Unfortunately, his innings concluded abruptly when he was run out due to a deflected throw by Matt Henry. This left the crowd in shock, as they had been captivated by his explosive performance. India’s lower order crumbled quickly, allowing New Zealand to secure a comprehensive victory.

Initially, batting first, Seifert set the tone by striking Arshdeep for three consecutive boundaries in the first over. By the fourth over, he had already hit Rana for sixes and fours. Conway cautiously began his innings, later accelerating with boundaries against Kuldeep and Ravi Bishnoi.

Seifert reached his fifty in a mere 25 balls, setting a record for the fastest fifty by a New Zealand batter against India. After the pair established the first 100-plus opening partnership for New Zealand against India in T20Is since 2017, Kuldeep dismissed Conway, while Jasprit Bumrah accounted for Rachin Ravindra.

The bowling changes worked for India, with Arshdeep taking out Seifert and Kuldeep dismissing Glenn Phillips. Mark Chapman and Mitchell Santner attempted to stabilize the innings, but Santner was run out following a direct hit from Hardik Pandya. Zakary Foulkes contributed with a six and a four before falling to Arshdeep.

In the death overs, Mitchell took charge, hitting Bumrah for a six and two boundaries in the 19th over and continued his attack on Rana, finishing unbeaten on 39 off 18 balls, leading New Zealand past the 200-run mark. Rinku excelled for India with four catches in the outfield.

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.