Looking back: Previous India v New Zealand T20 World Cup matches

By Daniel Beswick

As hosts, defending champions and after recent bilateral success against their opponents, India could well be considered slight favourites for the March 8 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final against New Zealand.

However, there is history that weighs in the Black Caps' favour: New Zealand is yet to lose to India in tournament history.

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How each of the three meetings panned out:

T20 World Cup 2007: New Zealand show short-form blueprint in Johannesburg

Daniel Vettori gave the world a glimpse of the value of left-arm orthodox spinners in the game's new format, claiming 4/20 and scoring a quickfire 15 (5) to push the Kiwis past India in group play at the inaugural Men's T20 World Cup.

Defending 190, Vettori brought himself on with India ahead at 76/1 in a chase of 191, claiming Robin Uthappa and now-India coach Gautam Gambhir (51 from 33 balls) in his first spell.

Fellow spinner Jeetan Patel removed Yuvraj Singh, a runout denied MS Dhoni (24) and Vettori returned to deny any late fightback with the wickets of Irfan Pathan and Dinesh Karthik.

Early T20 expert Brendon McCullum had laid New Zealand's foundation, making a quick 45, before flurries from Craig McMillan and Jacob Oram put up the ultimately insurmountable score.

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T20 World Cup 2016: New Zealand spinners overshadow India adversaries in ragging Nagpur

A square turner meant a low-scoring thriller was on the cards, though the Black Caps were emphatic in a defense of 126, bundling out India for just 79 with nine wickets claimed between three spinners.

Corey Anderson's 34 (42) proved to be a vital knock some 90 minutes later, as was Luke Ronchi's 21 not out (11), coming in at No.8 as the Kiwis stacked their side with batting.

Virat Kohli (23) and MS Dhoni (30) were the only India batters to provide any resistance, and losing Kohli at 39/5 to Ish Sodhi in the ninth over of the chase had almost extinguished the hosts' aspirations.

Not even Dhoni, so revered for his finishing, was able to drag his side out of their hole, the ninth player dismissed in the 18th over, with the final wicket of Ashish Nehra taken three balls later.

Off-spinner Nathan McCullum (2/15), Sodhi (3/18) and Mitchell Santner (4/11 and 18 with the bat) were only denied a full set of 10 wickets for the spinners by Adam Milne, who claimed Nehra to finish off the job.

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T20 World Cup 2021: New Zealand bowlers stifle India in Dubai

India could never wriggle out of the New Zealand bowlers' clutches when the sides met in Dubai at the 2021 edition, limping to just 110/7, well short of defendable score.

Trent Boult bookend the bowling effort with a wicket in the Powerplay and two in the 19th over, with the middle dominated by Ish Sodhi (2/17 from four overs), Tim Southee (1/26 from four overs) and Adam Milne (1/30 from four overs).

Mitch Santner, despite not picking up a wicket (0/15), was a clear threat in the eyes of India, bowled 11 dot balls to continue the unrelenting Black Caps push.

The early flurry of Martin Guptil and Daryl Mitchell at the top of the order quashed any idea of an India comeback, with a huge six from a Mitchell on-drive off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja taking the wind out of the bowling side's sails.

Mitchell finished with 49 (35), dismissed with his side needing just 15 runs from 44 balls with eight wickets in hand by the time he was dismissed.

Kane Williamson's whip into the leg-side completed an emphatic Kiwi victory.

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