Fresh off a heavy loss in the last T20I in Auckland, India suffered yet another setback as they lost their second consecutive match in the series, this time in Hamilton. New Zealand were pumped up and thrashed India by 7 wickets with 2 overs to spare to make sure the series finishes 3-2. India get the trophy and the honours, but New Zealand gets the momentum ahead of the ODI series. India fell short in certain areas and we shall list them for you here.
Losing the plot in overs 11-15 costs India the momentum in both the innings.Â
India were put into bat first as Shreyas Iyer said that they would have batted first anyway. India got off to a sluggish start losing both their openers cheaply with the score at 19/2. Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan started the fightback and took India to 50/2 in 6 overs. Thereafter, India enjoyed a brilliant 4-over phase as both players cut loose and Michael Bracewell was hit for 27 in an over. India reached 111/2 in 10 overs and were set for 200+ for sure. But destiny had other plans.
After the Drinks Break, Ishan Kishan fell for 61. Shreyas reached his fifty and then got out while Tilak Varma failed with the bat despite being dismissed of a no ball earlier. India stuttered in this phase with the loss of wickets as New Zealand bowled tight lines and lengths as India had no answers to it. India reached 144/5 in 15 overs as it was deceleration of the highest order. In the end, they reached 191/8, but were 20-30 runs short for sure and the Kiwis proved that in the chase.
Similarly, in the chase New Zealand started slowly and gained momentum as they were actually behind India after 10 overs being 96/2 in 10 overs needing 96 more runs for the last 10 overs. But in overs 11-15, New Zealand outgunned India and really killed the chase as India had no answers with the ball too. Overs 11-15 has proved to be a bane for India in the past, and tonight was no different in Hamilton. They need to sort this problem out quickly in order to be a better side in T20Is. The series is won, but loads of work to do.
Dropped catch of Tim Seifert when batting on 13* by Naman Dhir proved to be costly for the Indians.Â
India started well with the ball while defending 191 as they kept things under check and dismissed Finn Allen early. The Kiwis were struggling as Arshdeep Singh breathed fire. New Zealand were 18/1 in the 4th over when Seifert batting on 13* skied a ball towards deep point where Naman Dhir dropped an absolute dolly. This proved to be the turning point of the match for sure. Had the catch being taken, New Zealand would have been 18/2 and India would have had their tails up.
That catch drop deflated India totally as the body language from captain Shreyas Iyer & Co showed. Seifert was ready to make India pay for it as he started hitting straight. Soon, after the catch drop, the momentum swung New Zealand’s way as the Kiwis started getting runs from both ends and after being 25/1 in 4 overs, New Zealand raced to 59/1 in 6 overs of power play as they were back on track for chasing this target down.
It’s a game of fine margins at the end of it all. Fielding is paramount as catches do win matches. But India’s fielding has been a concern lately in this format. Not that New Zealand have fared better, as they have dropped 14 catches this series and 28+ in 2026 alone which is rare. But India too are sloppy. In order to become a better side in T20I cricket, the Indians need to improve their fielding by leaps and bounds ahead of the T20 World Cup 2028 which will be in Australia and New Zealand. The Kiwis too dropped catches, but India’s one error cost them the game we can say.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s lacklustre display alongside inability to solve the Glenn Phillips problem sealed the fate of the match.Â
India have had issues in their bowling in the series against West Indies. So, they went back to experienced campaigner Bhuvneshwar Kumar to see how he goes based on his IPL performances in the last couple of years. But Bhuvneshwar has been disappointing to say the least. A trend has been noticed that he bowls a good first over or couple of overs, like he did in Hamilton. But when he comes back for the 3rd over in a different spell, he leaks runs like anything.
In Hamilton, after two overs his end was changed and he came to bowl the last over of power play. There, he went for plenty and ruined his figures. He once again went for over 40, in this case 41 in 4 overs. He has picked up just one wicket and went at 11-12 an over. This was touted as his comeback. After these returns, he may be gone for ever from the Indian team. So, this was the disappointing part of the series and yesterday as well.
Another issue for Indian bowlers as a whole was to solve the Glenn Phillips problem. Phillips was Mr. Consistent as he scored runs in all matches barring one and had a ton in the series. Yesterday, he supported Seifert, before applying the finishing touches scoring 65 unbeaten of 38 balls. Glenn Phillips has tormented the Indians this series and was Player of the Series in the end. The Indian bowlers lacked ideas and plans and even if they had that, they failed to execute those.
So, some concerns for the Indian team as they have lost back-to-back T20Is to give the hosts momentum into the ODI series. But overall, India will cherish the 3-2 series win if asked before the series, they would have taken it with both hands. Still few loopholes to work on for the T20I team going forward.
What Lies Ahead.Â
The T20I series is done and dusted. India won that 3-2. We turn our focus into the all important 5-match ODI series between New Zealand and India. The first match is set to start on 4th November, 2026 at Eden Park, Auckland. The match is set to commence at 7:30 AM IST onwards. Shubman Gill will lead India in the first 3 ODIs, while Mitchell Santner leads the Kiwis in all 5 matches. Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma returns amidst other stars in the Kiwi camp.
Let’s see how things pan out as a blockbuster series is on the cards from Wednesday onwards for the next week or so,
Also Read: NZ vs IND: Tim Seifert’s Swashbuckling Knock Flabbergasts India