After two close finishes, New Zealand were given a brutal reality check as the Indian juggernaut was in full flow. The Men in Blue obliterated the Kiwis by chasing down 199 in just 13.2 overs. Towards the end, India slowed down and scored the last 21 runs off 20 balls. But still, it was a hammering, and it shows what happened prior to that. New Zealand may have batted decently, but their fast bowling in the powerplay has left a lot to be desired. Their two best bowlers are the spin duo of Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell. The rest get carted for runs.
We will try and figure out where New Zealand fell behind and lost the plot in this T20I clash in windy Wellington.
Scoring only 98 runs in the back 10 overs for the loss of one wicket with wickets in hand dented the Kiwis
New Zealand lost the toss and were inserted yet again. The Kiwis lost Tim Seifert early, but the duo of Finn Allen and Daryl Mitchell ensured the momentum stayed with New Zealand on a decent track. The duo smashed the Indian bowlers and took the powerplay score to 58/2 in 6 overs. Thereafter, they put on a total of 86 runs for the second wicket when Allen fell to Nitish Kumar Reddy. The Blackcaps reached 100/2 in 10 overs with Mitchell and Phillips at the crease.
The expectation was that with wickets in hand and batting deep, New Zealand would get 120-130 off the back 10 overs, which is possible on this pitch and dimensions. While Mitchell played a masterful knock and Jacobs too chipped in, the Kiwis managed 98 runs off the last 10 overs and lost just one wicket. Now, the idea is if you have wickets in hand, you need to go harder. But they couldn’t, and that’s credit to the Indian bowlers for adjusting to the wicket. 198 is a decent score, but against the might of India, it was not enough.
New Zealand needs to look at where they went wrong in the last 10 overs. It seemed that they left at least 30-40 runs on the field, which may have made a difference in the end. The batting is not the issue; we all agree they have done well. The issue is the bowling, and for that we feel the batters have to score the extra 20-30 runs batting first. To salvage pride, New Zealand needs to try and outbat India out of the game by scoring a huge score if batting first.
Conceding 118/0 in the powerplay sealed the fate of the match
After posting 198 on the board, New Zealand thought they had runs on the board, and we could be in for another interesting chase. Well, we thought that it would be a thrilling chase, but it was anything but. The first over sets the tone in general. While Matt Henry bowled a maiden in the previous match, he was not there. Jacob Duffy took the new ball, and Vaibhav hit him for a boundary. Abhishek joined in; wides were conceded as India went to 26/0 in 1 over.
There was no looking back for India from this position. The Men in Blue, led by Abhishek Sharma in the company of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, pulverised New Zealand in the powerplay. The duo went crazy, Abhishek in particular, as he got more of the strike and killed the game in the powerplay. That was his aim. Abhishek smashed a fifty in the powerplay off 15 balls. India got to 100 and the century run stand in 5 overs. The powerplay score was 118/0 in 6 overs, with the game sealed there and there.
Vaibhav got to 45 and put on 133 for the first wicket in 7 overs before perishing, but the damage was done. Abhishek went to his 4th T20I ton in 35 balls and eventually fell for 113 off 38 balls with the score reading 178/2 in 10 overs. India got their last 21 runs in 20 balls with 2 more wickets lost, but the job was done by then. New Zealand seriously needs to look at the performance of their new ball bowlers, as they have been underperforming and threw in the towel early. They really need to improve in the remaining two T20Is to challenge the Indians.
Tactical blunders by Mitchell Santner & Co raised loads of eyebrows for many
There were a few tactical errors made by captain Mitchell Santner and the team management while trying to defend the total of 198. Yes, we can say batters should have gotten more, but there was no way one could lose this match inside 13.2 overs with nearly 200 being chased down. So, there is something wrong with the bowlers and the tactical acumen of Santner & Co.
Firstly, Santner could have used Bracewell in the opening over, as both openers being left-handed is vulnerable against off-spin early on. But he started with pacers, and when Bracewell came in, it was a bit too late. The batters were set and took Bracewell down in the powerplay. But one feels the biggest error he made was holding himself back for far too long. When the pacers were under siege by the Indians, Santner should have taken more responsibility.
Yes, two left-handers against a left-arm spinner is a favourable match-up for the batters. But Santner is New Zealand’s best bowler, and he needs to realise that. He picked up 4 wickets in the previous game. Santner should have bowled in the powerplay. Even after the powerplay, he came in to bowl the 8th or 9th over. The game was gone by then as Santner bowled a good spell. But it didn’t affect India at all. Some field placements were questionable as well. But his not coming on to bowl in the powerplay showed rigidity and a lack of thinking out of the box.
In the last two games, Santner should take more responsibility and lead his side to consolation wins that will give the side the boost ahead of the ODI series. That should now be his aim and get the bowling combination right as well. Santner is a class act, but as a captain he has made mistakes; he has to admit that.
What Lies Ahead.Â
So, India are up 3-0 with 2 games left. The next T20I takes place on Friday, 30th October, 2026, at Eden Park, Auckland, from 12:30 PM IST. India will aim to keep up the momentum and take a 4-0 lead in the 5-match series, while New Zealand will aim to pull one back and boost their own morale and confidence. Can they do it? For that, they may have to chase a score. Let’s see how Game 4 pans out in Auckland.
Also Read: NZ VS IND: Abhishek Sharma’s Blistering 4th T20I Ton Destroys Kiwis