With a solid display, Kiwis keep their perfect run going

Afghanistan had NZ in trouble early on and but they let them off the hook with some poor fielding

- Dhiman Sarkar

New Zealand are known as cricket's nice guys. They don't, barring the odd wry Jimmy Neesham tweet, crib if they lose a World Cup on boundary countback.

Australia's reputation for growling would need sandpapering but since the 2015 ODI World Cup, friction and the Black Caps have been mutually exclusive. Nothing's happened so far to suggest that will change in India where after Wednesday's 149-run run win against Afghanistan, New Zealand have now won four in four to top the standings.

Of course, such temperament is helped by opponents when they drop four easy catches. It started in the second over and continued through the time Afghanistan fielded on a humid afternoon in Chennai after winning the toss. Forget Mitchell Santner's effort, running back, leaping and sticking out one hand to dismiss skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, the kind Afghanistan missed to let New Zealand make 288/6, it seemed like they had trampolines fitted on palms.