IND vs NZ 4th T20I Results

5:34 PM IST That's all, folks! New Zealand finally have some teeth in the game and a win by 50 runs against this Indian team is something to be proud of. The Kiwis have one more game left before they begin their preparations for the mega event and so do India. The 5th and final T20I will be played in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, the 31st of January. It should be another cracker of a game as we might get a glimpse at the combination of the Playing XI that might be used by both sides in their opening World Cup fixtures. The first ball will be bowled at 7 pm IST (1.30 pm GMT), but as usual, you can join us sooner for the build-up. ADIOS. TAKE CARE.

5:31 PM IST The Indian captain - Suryakumar Yadav says that they purposely played 6 batters and 5 proper bowlers to challenge themselves, so they are not too displeased by the outcome. Adds that they have batted really well so far and it was a good challenge to go after a big target, and it's all good learning in the end. Further mentions about the positives and mentions the knock of Shivam Dube but admits that 50 runs is a big margin and they will try to bounce back stronger.

5:31 PM IST The captain of New Zealand - Mitchell Santner says that the way they started in the Powerplay is exactly what India have been doing to them throughout the series. Adds that against this Indian batting unit, even 200 doesn’t really feel safe. Mentions that they didn't want batters to go into a shell after being bowled out for 153 in the last game. Believes that there is no better preparation than playing against quality opposition like India, and with a couple of players set to come in for the final game, the focus is firmly on getting roles sorted and clarity within the group. Explains that the surface was a bit tacky, and when bowled slower through the air, there was turn on offer. Reckons that wickets in the Powerplay make life much easier for the spinners.

5:28 PM IST PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Tim Seifert is the Player of the Match for his fiery knock of 62 off just 36 balls up top. Tim says that they decided to take the bowlers on early and sometimes you can get a bit lucky with the top edges. Adds that Jasprit Bumrah got him with a beauty in the last game but feels that if you get him away on the first ball, things can be a bit easier. Mentions that they want to put that pressure on the opposition bowlers early on because that's the nature of T20 cricket. Adds that they have to keep the T20 World Cup in mind and if the pitches are anywhere close to the ones in this series, they have to score big runs.

5:21 PM IST Time for the post-match Presentations...

5:21 PM IST Let's recap the first innings - India opted to field first on a pitch that looked absolutely flat and with the dew coming into play later on, it made all the sense. However, New Zealand took a leaf out of Abhishek Sharma's book and Tim Seifert came out all guns blazing. The Kiwi openers put on 71 runs in the Powerplay without getting out and that set the tone for the rest of the game. The innings did start to simmer down a bit in the middle phase but Daryl Mitchell re-ignited things at the death and took his side to a formidable score of 215. On the bowling front, none of the Indian bowlers were spared early on, not even Jasprit Bumrah. However, both he and Arshdeep Singh came back strongly to pick up a wicket and the hosts started to just crawl their way back in the first innings. However, the likes of Ravi Bishnoi and Harshit Rana couldn't quite get their lengths right and went for plenty as India conceded a heavy total.