Tim Seifert steals the show as New Zealand make it two wins in a row against India

It's been raining runs in the Land of the Long White Cloud, and finally the hosts are coming out on the right side. India may have secured the series after the third match, but comfortable back-to-back wins have left the Kiwis wondering what might have been.

On Sunday, chasing 192 to win, they were belligerent. Finn Allen fell early when he skyed Arshdeep Singh into the night sky, but fellow opener Tim Seifert took the game away from India.

The wicketkeeper-batter blasted 93 from 50 balls - including five sixes - and when he finally perished in the 16th over, the damage had been done.

Seifert was supported manfully first by Darly Mitchell, whose quickfire 29 from 16 was needed, and then by the explosive Glenn Phillips, with whom he put on 86 from 42 to break the back of the chase. Phillips struck two consecutive fours to end the match with 12 balls remaining.

Earlier, India lost red-hot openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson early and were reduced to 21 for 2 after four overs, with big quick Adam Milne bagging an early brace.

But Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer then stitched together a superb 93-run stand off just 43 balls to put India back on track. The pair looked like they could propel them to 220, but India lost their way. New Zealand's Blair Tickner dismissed Kishan (61 from 32 balls ) and when Iyer (50 off 23) top-edged a pull off Nathan Smith seven balls later, the slide to 191/8 began.

Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir added 46 off 30 balls for the sixth wicket and while the visitors managed 47 in the last five overs, regular wickets blunted their attack. Milne was brilliant with the ball, getting two more scalps to finish with excellent figures of 4/19, eventually earning him Player of the Match.

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