Proteas’ innings was a procession of failures. Wicketkeeper Connor Esterhuizen scratched 8 off 12. Vian Mulder made 16 before Santner struck. Tony de Zorzi’s 1 off 4 was forgettable. Rubin Hermann got 19 off 12, Jason Smith 12 caught off Santner by Sears.

George Linde’s fiery 33 off 12 offered hope, but no one stuck around. Maharaj and Mokoena scored zilch. Sears’ 3-14 and Ferguson’s 3-16 in 3.3 overs dismantled the batting lineup.

Batting first, New Zealand lost early wickets but recovered through Conway’s masterful 60 (49 balls, 5×4, 2×6). Latham 11, Robinson 1 bowled by Linde. Kelly 21 (12), Santner 20 (14), Clarkson 26 (9) pushed the score to 175-6.

Mulder snared two wickets for South Africa, Coetzee and Maharaj one apiece. New Zealand’s bowlers dominated, signaling their intent for the series decider.

Opting to bowl first after winning the toss? No, New Zealand batted after losing it, and they made a strong start. Conway and Seifert’s 43/1 in powerplay set the tone, but wickets tumbled to 43/2. Ravindra’s aggressive 44 (4×6, 2×4) and a 55-run alliance with Phillips revived them to 98/3.

Santner played the finisher’s role superbly, his 47* off 27 balls (6×4, 1×6) lifting NZ to 208/6. India’s bowlers struck back: Kuldeep’s 2/XX, with Rana, Chakaravarthy, and Dube chipping in.

India’s reply began disastrously at 6/2 with Samson and Sharma out cheaply. Enter Ishan and Surya. Their third-wicket blitz of 122 runs in 48 balls was pure T20 carnage. Kishan’s 32-ball 76 exploded with boundaries galore.

Post Kishan, Surya’s class shone through. His 37-ball 82* featured elegant strokeplay, complemented by Dube’s 36* off 18. The unbroken 81-run partnership in 37 balls made light work of the target.

New Zealand’s bowlers struggled; Henry, Duffy, Sodhi managed one scalp apiece. This victory highlights India’s depth and aggression, positioning them strongly in the series. Fans are already buzzing about the next clash.