5 reasons India have not been able to beat New Zealand in T20Is

Across all three forms of the game, India and New Zealand have played 163 international cricket matches. Of those, the former enjoy a 72-59 win-loss record. While the Indians continue to hold a significant advantage over their opponent in both Tests and ODIs, the Kiwis have completely dwarfed them in the shortest format. In five completed matches against the 'Men in Blue', the Blackcaps have managed to win on each and every occasion. It is pertinent to note that two of those games came in the World T20.

The upcoming 3-match series provides an ideal opportunity for India to register their maiden T20I victory against New Zealand and consequently add a semblance of respect to their win-loss record over the Kiwis in this particular format.

Extra Cover: 5 players who missed out on India's T20I squad to face New Zealand

In reverse chronological order, let us now revisit all five T20I encounters between the two teams thus far and examine why India have not been able to defeat New Zealand even once in the shortest format of the game. All statistics and data are accurate as of 30th October 2017.

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#5 Underestimating the Kiwi spinners (Nagpur, 2016)

New Zealand's spinners sliced through the Indian batting lineup on a turning track in Nagpur

The most recent T20I between India and New Zealand was the inaugural match of the Super 10 phase in the 2016 World T20. With the tournament taking place on Indian soil, there were plenty of expectations on MS Dhoni's team to go all the way and lift the trophy.

Their opening clash against the Kiwis would be the perfect platform to begin their campaign. In front of a sell-out crowd at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, the 'Men in Blue' dampened the enthusiasm of their adoring supporters by subsiding to a hefty defeat.

The bone of contention in the loss emanated from the fact that they were outplayed by a non-subcontinental team on what was a rank turner. When the visitors limped to 126 for the loss of seven wickets, it appeared as if the total would not be any match for India's power-packed batting lineup. However, what followed was scarcely believable.

The unheralded spin trio of Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi and Nathan McCullum not only bundled India for a paltry total of 76 but also gave a fitting demonstration to their counterparts on how to bowl on a rapidly deteriorating surface.

Having entered the game without any clear game-plan against the New Zealand spinners, the Indian batsmen paid the price for underestimating their opposition. Even though the 'Men in Blue' bounced back from the shellacking to reach the semi-final, their tournament opener highlighted quite a few flaws.

#4 Dhoni's death-overs choke (Chennai, 2012)

MS Dhoni laboured to a 23-ball 22 and came up short in the end

After persistent rain washed out the opening match at Visakhapatnam, the series was up for grabs when India and New Zealand squared off against each other at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in 2012. The match had added significance as the tenacious Yuvraj Singh was making an emotional comeback into international cricket following a successful bout against cancer.

The hosts got off to a vociferous start as Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan picked up a wicket each in the first couple of overs. However, the dynamic Brendon McCullum formed valuable partnerships with the likes of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor to steer the innings in the proper direction.

Although McCullum was castled by Pathan just nine runs short of what could have been a spectacular century, the Kiwis posted 167 on a dicey track.

An enterprising performance from Virat Kohli as well as useful contributions from Suresh Raina and Yuvraj anchored India's chase. When the exuberant right-hander fell for a well-compiled 70, the skipper walked into the middle.

Even as the partisan crowd got behind their adopted local lad, MS Dhoni struggled to come to terms with the sluggish surface and laboured to a painfully slow knock. With Yuvraj returning to top-level cricket after a lengthy sabbatical, the onus was on the captain to time the chase to perfection. But the match turned out to be one of those rare instances when the accomplished finisher failed to carry his side to victory.

#3 Inadequate death bowling (Wellington, 2009)

Brendon McCullum held his nerve to pull off a last-ball victory for New Zealand

During the final game of the two-match T20I series within their 2009 trip to New Zealand, the Indian lower middle-order were unable to take advantage of the short boundaries on offer in Wellington. This happened despite Virender Sehwag showing the way with a quickfire 11-ball 24 which contained as many as five boundaries. Yuvraj Singh top-scored by plundering a half-century off just 34 deliveries.

However, the rest of the batsmen did not have the wherewithal to find the boundary ropes. Skipper Daniel Vettori displayed his keen tactical nous by stifling them with a tight line complemented by precise field placements. As a consequence, the visitors had to remain content with a meager total of 149.

Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum made their intentions pretty clear by going after the seamers. Apart from the reliable Zaheer Khan, none of the other fast bowlers managed to apply any sort of pressure. Just like in countless other cases, the Indian team had to depend on their spinners to get them back into the contest.

Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja did exactly that by forming a parsimonious partnership in the middle-overs.

In what could be a case of eerie similarities with the recently completed third ODI between the two countries at Kanpur, the equation came down to 35 off the last four overs. Unlike the current side which contains two specialist death bowlers, the class of 2009 did not comprise of any seamer capable of sending down yorkers on a regular basis.

With pace spearhead Zaheer finishing his quota of four overs before the business stage of the clash, the tourists were truly up against it. Even though he picked up a couple of vital scalps in his previous over, Irfan Pathan undid all his good work by coming up with two length balls right in McCullum's arc during the final over of the game.

The destructive right-hander duly capitalised on the wayward bowling and sealed a tight victory for New Zealand.

#2 Failure to hit the ground running (Christchurch, 2009)

Ian Butler picked up the crucial wickets of Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni

When an in-form Indian contingent comprising of numerous world-class players departed for Kiwi shores for a full tour in 2009, high expectations were firmly entrenched upon them as New Zealand had been struggling with a gruelling transition period. In sync with their reputation of being slow starters, the visitors took some time to adapt to the challenging conditions and began on a disappointing note. The casualties were the two curiously placed T20Is at Christchurch and Wellington.

If the second game in Wellington was decided due to their lack of genuine death bowlers, the preceding match saw the Indian batting lineup implode in spectacular fashion.

On a docile surface, the New Zealand seamers made telling blows by simply adhering to the basics. They built pressure by stitching together sequences of dot balls and induced fatal mistakes from the batsmen.

After bludgeoning four sixes from just ten balls, Sehwag got a bit too greedy and gifted his wicket to Ian O'Brien. Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni were undone by Ian Butler's nagging line. With the spinners striking a couple of useful blows as well, India collapsed to 82/6 at the half-way mark.

Although the exploits of the lower-order carried them to 162, the total eventually proved to be below par as the Kiwis surged to a comfortable victory with seven wickets to spare.

#1 Not building on the openers' efforts (Johannesburg, 2007)

Daniel Vettori's four-wicket haul fashioned a miraculous victory for the Blackcaps

The inaugural edition of the World T20 remains a watershed moment in the modern game. A young Indian team, led by the charismatic MS Dhoni, made an entire country fall in admiration with the shortest format by lifting the trophy. While their success in the tournament paved the way for the humongous popularity of the IPL, India's only blemish in their ultimately triumphant campaign came against the Blackcaps in Johannesburg.

After winning the toss, India had New Zealand on the mat by reducing them to 91/5 in the 13th over of the innings. But Craig McMillan and Jacob Oram turned the game on its head with a counter-attacking sixth-wicket partnership. The duo's belligerence propelled their team to a strong total.

With a blistering opening stand, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir helped India carve a massive chunk from the target of 191. When the two openers were dismissed, the 'Men in Blue' suddenly began to lose the plot as the wily Daniel Vettori spun a web around the middle-order. The batting lineup's failure to build on the substantial first-wicket partnership saw New Zealand emerge victorious by ten runs.