T20 WC: A Glimpse At All India Vs New Zealand Clashes

T20 WC: A glimpse at all India vs New Zealand clashes (Image Source: IANS)

T20 World Cup Final: India, as hosts and defending champions, with recent bilateral wins over their opponents, might be slight favourites for Sunday’s ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

However, history is on the Black Caps' side: New Zealand have never lost a single game to India in the tournament's history.

An overview of how each of their previous three meetings unfolded:

1. T20 World Cup 2007: New Zealand won by 10 runs in Johannesburg (Quarter-final)

At the first edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, Daniel Vettori showcased just how valuable left-arm orthodox spin could be in the shortest format. Delivering a match-winning all-round display, the New Zealand skipper returned impressive figures of 4/20 and chipped in with a brisk 15 from just five balls to help the New Zealand national cricket team defeat the India national cricket team during the group stage.

Tasked with defending a challenging target of 191, Vettori introduced himself into the attack when India were cruising at 76/1. His intervention immediately turned the tide as he dismissed Robin Uthappa and current India head coach Gautam Gambhir, who had been scoring freely with a 33-ball 51.

Spin continued to tighten New Zealand’s grip on the contest. Jeetan Patel removed Yuvraj Singh, a crucial run-out accounted for MS Dhoni (24), and Vettori returned later to shut the door on India by dismissing Irfan Pathan and Dinesh Karthik.

Earlier in the innings, explosive opener Brendon McCullum had laid the foundation with a rapid 45, before late contributions from Craig McMillan and Jacob Oram pushed New Zealand to a total that ultimately proved beyond India’s reach.

2. T20 World Cup 2016: New Zealand beat India by 47 runs in Nagpur

When the two sides met again in a later edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, conditions heavily favoured spin, setting the stage for a tense, low-scoring encounter. On a sharply turning surface, New Zealand successfully defended a modest total of 126 by bowling India out for just 79, with three spinners combining to claim nine wickets.

Earlier, Corey Anderson anchored the New Zealand innings with a patient 34 from 42 deliveries. Lower down the order, Luke Ronchi added valuable late runs with an unbeaten 21 off 11 balls after arriving at No. 8 in a batting-heavy lineup.

India struggled against the spin trio, with only Virat Kohli (23) and MS Dhoni (30) offering meaningful resistance. When Ish Sodhi removed Kohli with the score at 39/5 in the ninth over, the hosts’ hopes were already fading.

Even Dhoni, renowned for orchestrating late chases, could not rescue the innings. He became the ninth batter to fall in the 18th over, before Adam Milne wrapped up proceedings by dismissing Ashish Nehra three balls later.

The spin trio dominated proceedings: Nathan McCullum returned 2/15, Sodhi picked up 3/18, and Mitchell Santner starred with 4/11 alongside a handy 18 with the bat. The only wicket not taken by a spinner came from Milne, who sealed the victory.

T20 World Cup 2021: New Zealand beat India by 8 wickets in Dubai

The trend continued when India and New Zealand met in Dubai at the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup. India found themselves pinned down by disciplined Kiwi bowling and could muster only 110/7, a total that was never going to pose a serious challenge.

Trent Boult set the tone early with a wicket during the Powerplay and later returned to strike twice in the 19th over. In between, the pressure was maintained by Ish Sodhi (2/17), Tim Southee (1/26), and Adam Milne (1/30).

Although he went wicketless, Santner’s economical spell of 0/15, featuring 11 dot balls, further strangled India’s scoring opportunities and kept the pressure firmly on.

In response, New Zealand’s chase began briskly. Martin Guptill and Daryl Mitchell quickly dismantled any hopes of an Indian comeback. Mitchell’s towering six off Ravindra Jadeja, struck straight down the ground, effectively drained the momentum from the Indian attack.

Mitchell eventually departed for a composed 49 off 35 balls, with New Zealand requiring just 15 runs and holding eight wickets in hand. Moments later, captain Kane Williamson finished the job with a flick through the leg side, sealing a convincing victory for the Black Caps.

India vs NZ head-to-head in T20 World Cups:

Played: 3

New Zealand: 3

Played: 3

With defending champions India on the brink of making history, having a chance to become the first team ever to win back-to-back T20 World Cup titles, and the Kiwis under pressure to maintain their unbeaten record against the Men in Blue in the tournament and also clinch their maiden title, the upcoming match promises to be a cracking encounter.

Article Source: IANS