India go 4-0 up as New Zealand choke yet again

India 165 for 8 (Pandey 50*, Rahul 39, Sodhi 3-26) tied with New Zealand 165 for 7 (Munro 64, Seifert 57, Thakur 2-33)
Match tied (India won the one-over eliminator)

Wellington: India defeated New Zealand in the fourth T20 International via Super Over to take an unassailable 4-0 lead in the five-match series on Friday. Batting first, India had posted a competitive 165/8 which was matched by New Zealand- 165/7.

New Zealand's effort was largely built around opener Colin Munro and Tim Seifert's half-centuries.

Munro followed it up with an unbeaten 5 in the Super Over but it wasn’t enough as KL Rahul (5*) took Tim Southee to the cleaners.

This after the game was tied as India pacer Shardul Thakur came up with a brilliant last over just when it looked like the Kiwis would romp home with ease.

India have an unassailable 4-0 lead in the five-match series after consecutive victories in Auckland and Hamilton.

India were struggling at 88/6 at one stage before Pandey's lonesome rescue act took them to a respectable total.

Pandey put on 43 runs with Thakur for the seventh wicket and then added another 22 with Saini. In doing so, Pandey brought up his half-century off 36 balls

Chasing 166, Kiwis openers were slow to get off the blocks as the Indian trio of Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini and Jasprit Bumrah kept a tight line.

It was Bumrah who struck the first blow when he dismissed Martin Guptill for 4.

Colin Munro (64) and Tim Seifert forged a 74-run stand which put the Kiwis in command.

However, Munro's relay run-out by Virat Kohli and Tom Bruce's wicket occurred in a span of three balls which gave India a chance to turn things around. But it wasn't until the last over that the men in blue looked like they could salvage a result.

7 runs were needed in the last over but the Kiwis choked yet again as Shardul Thakur bowled a terrific last over to take the game into the Super Over.

In the Super Over, New Zealand scored 13 but India chased it down with ease as KL Rahul launched a brutal assault on Tim Southee.