New Zealand produced yet another sublime bowling performance to pull off a second successive giant-slaying act, beating ODI World champions Australia by eight runs in a dramatic ICC World Twenty20 clash in Dharamsala on Friday.
The Kiwis bowled with a lot of heart to stop Australia at 134 for nine, after putting up 142 for eight, at the scenic HPCA Stadium.
The highlight of their innings was a 27-ball 39 by opener Martin Guptill.
The Black Caps, who outplayed India in their first match, then produced another clinical bowling performance to inch towards the semi-finals.
Australia, playing their first game of the tournament, were found wanting at crucial junctures as none of their big guns in batting delivering the goods.
They looked comfortable in the chase till the time the in-form Usman Khawaja (38) and Shane Watson (13) were at the crease. The duo took the team to 42 for no loss in five overs.
However, there was a twist in the tale in store as Australia lost four quick wickets and were under pressure at 66 for four.
Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, who had foxed the highly-rated Indian batting line-up in Nagpur, brought his team back into the contest by having the dangerous David Warner caught at deep midwicket (6) and Steven Smith (6) stumped.
Australia bat deep and the onus was on Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh to see off the chase. They added 36 runs for the fifth wicket before Maxwell mistimed one and was caught at deep extra-cover.
It was anyone's game from thereon, with Australia needing 43 off the last 29 balls, a gettable target even though half their side was back in the dugout.
The game tilted Australia's way when Marsh and Ashton Agar hit a six each off Santner to ease the pressure.
But, just then, Mitchell McLenaghan brought New Zealand back by dismissing both Marsh and Agar in the penultimate over, leaving Australia to get 19 from the final one, which proved too much for them in the end.
Earlier, Guptill (39 off 27) gave New Zealand a racy start. He hammered pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile for successive fours before smashing left-arm spinner Agar for three sixes in the third over of the innings.
The crowd was treated to some crisp hitting from the opener as New Zealand reached 71 for no loss in the first six overs.
Guptill's departure in the eighth over derailed the innings as wickets fell at regular intervals.
Grant Elliott, batting at number six, came up with a valuable 27 off 20 balls to add crucial runs to the total.
Captain Kane Williamson and Colin Munro had scored 24 and 23 at the top of the order.
