Trent Boult with the ball and Daryl Mitchell with bat in hand have played starring roles in the Blackcaps eight-wicket win over India at the Twenty20 World Cup in Dubai.
The victory ensures New Zealand's semi-final destiny remains in their hands, with games to come against Scotland, Namibia and a tricky clash against Afghanistan.
Kane Williamson won the toss, sending India into bat on a wicket where eight of the last 12 games have seen the chasing team win.
Boult took 3/30, while Ish Sodhi claimed the key wickets of Rohit Sharma (14) and Virat Kohli (9), taking 2/17 in a superb spell of leg-spin bowling, as the vaunted Indian batting line-up could only muster 110/7 from their 20 overs.
With the bat, Mitchell made a fluent 49 at the top of the order and skipper Kane Williamson calmly compiled an unbeaten 33, as New Zealand triumphed with more than five overs to spare, bouncing back from defeat by Pakistan in their tournament opener.
Boult struck the first blow in his second over, removing freescoring Indian opener Ishan Kishan (4), who's well-timed onside lift could only find Mitchell at long-leg.
Adam Milne then had a horror moment, dropping Rohit Sharma the very next delivery, after the righthander's hook shot off a Bloult slower ball and dipped late on Milne, who spilled the catch.
KJ Rahul (18) stroked a couple of boundaries and Sharma launched a massive six off Milne (1/30), as India moved to a respectable 35/1 just before the end of the powerplay.
But Rahul holed out to Mitchell at deep mid-off off Southee and the Blackcaps slowly began to tighten their grip on the match.
Sodhi picked up Sharma in his first over, before Kohli's ugly slog to open the second half of the innings was caught by Guptill at long-off to reduce India to 48/4.
Rishabh Pant (12) and Hardik Pandya (23) added a snail-paced 22 from 25 balls, before a Milne thunderbolt cleaned out the Indian wicketkeeper.
Pandya hit Boult for the first Indian boundary in 71 balls, before becoming the left-arm quick's second victim with another catch for Guptill in the deep.
Guptill took his third catch of the innings three balls later, when Shardul Tkakhur's (0) lofted drive fell 20 metres short of the rope to gift Boult his final scalp.
Ravindra Jadeja (26no) hit a couple of late lusty blows, but 110 was never enough on a wicket lacking in turn and bounce.
Guptill (20) hit three fours in a 17-ball stay, before Mitchell took the game away from the Indians, smashing three sixes and four fours in 35 balls.
The righthander added 72 in 54 balls with his captain, before Bumrah (2/19) forced a false stroke out of Mitchell, who was caught on the long-off boundary by Rahul.
Williamson and Conway (2no) chipped away at the remaining 15 runs to seal a vital win for the Blackcaps.
Next up for New Zealand are Scotland on Wednesday night, while the Indians face Afghanistan on Thursday.
Join us at 11pm Wednesday for live updates of the Blackcaps v Scotland T20 World Cup clash
