NZ vs IND 4th T20I Live Commentary - Auckland (30 October 2026)

Banged in a bit short and around off, Patel looks to make room and go over point but gets a top edge down to deep third for a single.

DROPPED! A valiant effort from Bevon Jacobs and he even gets to the ball, but can't pouch it. Back of a length and over middle, another example of some extra bounce as Nitish Kumar Reddy gets rushed into the pull and miscues it badly towards mid-wicket. The ball hangs in the air for a while and Jacobs comes charging in from the deep. He puts in a lunging dive but the ball hits his wrists and goes down. Two taken.

SIX! A much better connection this time from Reddy. Fuller in length, angled into the leg pole. Nitish gets the front leg out of the way and tonks it over deep mid-wicket for a six.

Wide! Too high. Banged in short and around off, and this one sails over the batter's head.

SIX! Off the top edge, and sailing way over the ropes. A skiddy short ball now, in and around off. Nitish Kumar Reddy swings hard at the pull and gets a top edge that flies over the the keeper's head for a six.

Ouch! That must have hurt. Nathan Smith bowls a heavy ball, into the pitch and angles it in from around off stump. Nitish Kumar Reddy stands back to pull again but is rushed by the extra bounce and gets an inside edge onto the left shoulder. There's a cry of anguish from Reddy as well.

In the air... safe!

A tad fuller and on off stump, darting it back in. Reddy pushes it down to the left of mid on and picks up a single.

Good-length delivery, targeting the pads. Patel gets pegged back and cramped for room, getting it off the pads to square leg for a leg bye.

Fuller in length and around off, Reddy doesn't quite get under it and drives it straight to mid off for a quick run.

Axar misses another flick. Length ball, landing it around leg stump. Patel stays back and looks to work it away but the ball brishes off the pads and rolls down to fine leg for another leg bye.

Fisher hits the deck hard, bowling it around the top of off. Nitish Kumar Reddy moves around in his crease before swatting it down, wide of mid off or just a single.

Tidy bowling from Fisher. Really full and angled across the left-hander. Axar Patel sits down and smothers it away on the full to deep backward point for a run more.

Milne bowls it back of a length, in line with the stumps. Shreyas Iyer hops back and defends it down the pitch.

FOUR! A bit fuller and sliding into the pads, Iyer plays a nice leg glance and gets it fine down to the fine leg fence and picks up a boundary.

OUT! BOWLED! Milne says, 'You miss, I hit,' and sends the Indian skipper packing. Adam Milne goes a bit fuller and bowls it faster at the stumps, around middle and leg. Shreyas Iyer hangs deep but moves around in the crease a bit too much, eventually backing away to go over the off side but he is undone for pace. The ball shatters into the stumps, and India are reeling at 56/4, still needing 204 more for the win.

Back of a length and around off, hitting the deck hard. Nitish Kumar Reddy presses back and glides it down to deep third for a single.

Full-pitched delivery on off stump, at 140 clicks. Axar Patel drives it wothout much timing to mid off.

FOUR! Uppish, but just through the gap, and India end the Powerplay at 61/4. Milne hits a hard length and angles it across off, Patel hits on the up and slices it wide of the mid off fielder, and the ball skips away to the fence.

 SIX! Welcome to the attack, mate! Short of a length on middle and off, Abhishek picks the length in a trice and pulls it massively behind deep backward square leg for a biggie.

 FOUR! PUNISHED! Putting the new bowler under the pump right away. Back of a length, around off, Abhishek gets the front leg out of the way to make room and slaps it over mid off for a cracking boundary.

Wide! A skiddy delivery at 143 kph, a wee bit short and down leg. Abhishek shapes up to tickle it fine on the leg side, but misses. 50 up for India, and they need 210 runs to win.

OUT! CAUGHT BY SANTNER! Fisher gets his moment of redemption. He bangs the length in hard around off and draws extra bounce out of the surface. Abhishek Sharma looks to lift it over mid off, but the ball rises quicker than expected and he can only skew it straight to Mitchell Santner. Having spilled one earlier, Santner boots the ball away in frustration before celebrating the wicket. The dangerous Abhishek is gone, and India slip to 50/3, still needing 210 from 93 balls.

Smidge fuller on leg, Axar steers it to the mid-wicket region.

At the pads, full in length, whipped off the back foot to deep square leg for a single.

At 141 kph, on a good length, on the fourth stump line. Iyer rides the bounce by hopping on the toes and glides it to the left of deep third. Adam Milne gets across and cuts it off. One run taken. 13 runs and a wicket off the over.

Back of a length, around off, Iyer hops back and crunches it between cover and point. The ball just loses its steam in the outfield and is hunted down by the sub fielder, Devon Conway. Two runs taken.

FOUR! Edged away. This is pitched up a bit wide of the off stump. Shreyas Iyer gets across a bit and looks to loft it down the ground but gets a thick outside edge that flies down to deep third for a boundary.

Attacks the stumps by bashing it hard on a length. Iyer knocks it down to long on for a single.

Skiddy delivery on the leg stump line, on a good length. Abhishek shuffles inside the line to help it behind to the leg side but misses. 

Cannons in a full ball, on middle, Sharma tries to hoist it downtown, but fails to get under it and the ball squirts off the inner half to deep backward square leg for a single.

FOUR! Just gets it through! A full toss at the leg stump by Nathan. Iyer thumps it through wide mid on. It teases the fielder who chases from mid on but beats his slide for a four.

At the pads, shaping in, Iyer whips it to long leg for a single.

Swing and a miss! Short and angled across with extra bounce. Abhishek tries to flay it over cover-point, only to miss.

In the air... PUT DOWN! Brave effort by Santner. He did all the hard work, but just couldn't get the hold of it. Pitched up and wide outside off, Abhishek steps forward, looking to clear the infield, but the bat twists in his grip and he slices it off the toe end over mid off. Santner gives chase from the inner ring, running over his left shoulder. He keeps himself side-on to his left and dives near long off, only for the ball to burst through his hands. Two runs taken.

FOUR! Misfield by Smith. This is something you don't associate with New Zealand. Duffy drags it shorter and fires it outside off, Abhishek hangs back and pulls it away over mid-wicket. Smith charges in too hard to his right, loses his footing, slides past the ball and concedes four.

A yorker at the toes, Sharma digs it out towards mid-wicket.

At 142 kph, it’s dug in short and angled into Abhishek after pitching outside leg. He hops across the line, rolls his wrists and steers the pull through backward square for a couple.

At the pads, full in length, shaping in, Abhishek clips it to deep fine leg for a couple of runs to get off the mark.

A smidge full and on the leg stump, Abhishek whips off the pads, playing it aerially. The ball drops in the vacant deep mid-wicket region and just slows down in the outfield. It is chased by the sweeper and the batters pick up a couple.

Smartly bowled! Seeing Abhishek shuffling to the leg side to open up the off side, Milne spears in a full ball, far outside off, Sharma has a swing and a miss.

Fired on a fuller length, on the leg stump line, Abhishek misses his flick and the ball rolls off the front pad to the square leg region. They sneak in a leg bye.

Lovely timing, brilliant fielding. And chance of a run out, missed. Good cricket overall. Too full by Adam, around off, Iyer pummels it back past the bowler's left, but Santner plunges into the pool to his right from mid off and makes a fantastic stop. He is quick to spot that Abhishek is a bit slow off the blocks and releases a flat throw to the keeper's end. Tim Seifert runs forward but fails to collect the throw cleanly, allowing Sharma to skate in safely.

FOUR! Too good! Fuller delivery, on the leg stump, Abhishek Sharma jams the bat down and just jabs it over the bowler's head for a boundary. Before anyone could even move a muscle, it rifles to the fence.

 FOUR! Back to business! Full from Duffy, swinging away from middle to off, Sanju backs away to make room, maintains his shape and lofts it over extra cover for an effortless boundary. India and Samson are off the mark in style!

OUT! TOP EDGE AND CAUGHT! Four and out for Samson. The extra bounce does the trick for Duffy. He bangs it very short on top of the stumps, and extracts more bounce off the surface. Sanju backs away again to play the pull shot but the ball gets really big on him and he ends up spooning it off the top edge, over the keeper. Tim Seifert lurks under the swirling ball and takes a fine diving catch. India are 4/1, needing 256 runs.

Too full on off, shaping in a touch, Kishan drills it to mid off.

Beaten! Hits the deck really hard, does Duffy, outside off, Kishan tries to flay it over point but the ball wobbles away to beat his angled bat.

OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! Double whammy for Duffy. The Kiwis are right over the Men in Blue now. Jacob goes full and on the leg stump line, Kishan drops to one knee, looking to whip it away, but shuts the bat face too early in the attempt. Hence, the ball takes the cue end of the bat and bobbles back to the bowler. Jacob Duffy keeps his cool, backtracks a bit and takes a simple return catch with a reverse cup. India are 4/2, chasing 260.

 FOUR! Helped behind! Short of a length, at the hips. Iyer uses the pace by getting across and tickles it to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary.