The Black Caps have stunned the cricketing world once again, this time after inflicting a second-straight Twenty20 World Cup defeat on India, leaving the side on the verge of elimination.
Fast bowler Trent Boult and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi shared five wickets to restrict India to 110/7 after being invited tobat first in the Super 12 clash in Dubai.
India now have no points from two games and have taken just two wickets, while old rivals Pakistan lead the way with six points and Afghanistan have four after three games each.
Only the top two teams from the group advance to the semifinals with Pakistan and New Zealand now heavy favourites to do so.
Cricket pundits were in shock at the manner of India's thumping. Commentator Harsha Bhogle tweeted: "India haven't competed. And while it was always going to be a three-way battle in the group, I don't think anyone saw this coming.
"I'll say it again. You just have to admire the way Kane Williamson and the Black Cap play cricket."
Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan added: "India are playing 2010 Cricket. The game has moved on.
"Let's be honest... For all the talent & depth in #India cricket they under achieved massively for years in white ball cricket."
Indian captain Virat Kohli reacts after losing to Kane Williamson's Black Caps. Photo / Photosport
Ex-Indian batter Virender Sehwag wrote: "Very disappointing from India. NZ were amazing. India's body language wasn't great, poor shot selection & like few times in the past, New Zealand have virtually ensured we won't make it to the next stage. This one will hurt India & time for some serious introspection."
Former Indian fast bowler RP Singh tweeted "What to say? Nothing really" while cricket great VVS Laxman said: "This defeat should hurt Team India. Tentative with the bat, their shot selection was questionable. New Zealand bowled superbly, but India made their task easier. With their net run rate also taking a beating, a semifinal spot looks a distant dream."
Another former Indian bowler, Harbhajan Singh, said the Black Caps were "fantastic in all departments".
On the more local front, ex-Black Caps paceman Mitchell McClenaghan agreed with the Indian experts as far as New Zealand's bowlers were concerned: "This has been a class class bowling performance," he tweeted.
Commentator and former World Cup great Danny Morrison said the win was "another thoroughly professional performance... congrats Kiwis".
The Times of India had nothing but scorn for its own players and praise for the Black Caps.
"If the Pakistan match was a humiliating experience, the encounter against New Zealand was embarrassing to say the least.
"New Zealand exposed the outfit's inadequacies, mostly poor mindset and atrocious shot selection, something that was exploited to the hilt by Pakistan just a week back."
The BBC singled out New Zealand's bowling attack as crucial to the victory in Dubai.
"The Kiwis were superb with the ball. They had clearly done their homework and identified weaknesses in the India batters, but they have the skill and mentality to produce ball after ball."
Meanwhile, The Guardian laid the blame for the result squarely at the feet of the Indian players, barely mentioning the Black Caps' top performers.
"India spent the first half of yesterday's game against New Zealand putting together not so much a scorecard as a resignation letter.
"New Zealand's bowlers deserve great credit for restricting them to 110 but the lack of intent and ambition India showed with the bat was hard to fathom."
