New Zealand produced a dominant batting display to beat India comfortably in the 5th T20.
The hosts recovered from an early setback to post a strong total before India struggled to contain the chase. Mark Chapman and Glenn Phillips led the way as New Zealand took control after the halfway stage.
India had moments with the bat, but their total proved insufficient. Their bowling performance also gave them little chance of defending it.
India made a poor start after losing both openers inside the first four overs.
At 21/2, they needed a partnership to rebuild the innings. Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer responded well, adding 93 runs from 43 balls.
Their aggressive stand shifted the momentum and put India on course for a total around 220.
However, the innings slowed once the partnership ended.
Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir added 46 from 30 deliveries for the sixth wicket. Yet India could manage only 47 runs during the final five overs.
Adam Milne played a major role in restricting the scoring. He finished with excellent figures of 4/19.
New Zealand also lost an early wicket as Finn Allen departed before making a significant contribution.
Tim Seifert initially struggled to time the ball but settled in alongside Daryl Mitchell.
Seifert received a reprieve when Dhir dropped him on 13. He made the most of the opportunity and gradually increased the scoring rate as the ball stopped moving.
He and Mitchell added 73 before Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed Mitchell.
That proved to be India’s last breakthrough for some time.
Glenn Phillips joined Seifert and immediately increased the pressure. The pair attacked the Indian bowlers and kept finding boundaries.
Seifert completed an important half-century before falling short of three figures.
Phillips continued the assault and produced another brisk fifty, helping New Zealand build a commanding position.
India failed to maintain pressure with the ball throughout the innings.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished the match with only one wicket during his comeback series and struggled to contain the scoring rate.
Chakaravarthy picked up a wicket, but he could not prevent New Zealand from accelerating.
India also tried Abhishek Sharma with the ball, but the move did not provide the control they needed.
Apart from Reddy, who bowled only two overs, every Indian bowler went at more than 10 runs per over.
Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav also struggled to make an impact.
New Zealand finished the chase with little difficulty after their middle-order attack had put the game beyond India’s reach.
The result reflected the difference between the two sides on the night.
India had built a promising platform with the bat, but their late-innings slowdown left them short of the total they needed.
New Zealand, meanwhile, responded with a sustained batting assault and capitalised on India in 5th T20.
The victory capped another strong performance from the hosts, particularly after their improved showing in the previous match.
For India, the defeat highlighted problems with both their bowling execution and their ability to control the game during the middle and final stages.
