An outstanding century from Player of the Match Glenn Phillips along with Jacob Duffy’s four wicket haul helped New Zealand overpower India by 87 runs at Eden Park, Auckland to seal the fourth T20I.

Mayank strikes twice, double blow for the Kiwis

Mayank Yadav brings the double dhamaka! The speedster turned on the heat with two timely strikes sending Tim Seifert and Daryl Mitchell back to the pavilion within no time. Just when the hosts were looking to find their rhythm, the Men in Blue pulled the plugs. Two wickets, mighty blows and the pressure was right back on the Black Caps. At the end of the Powerplay, the hosts were 67/2.

Glenn Phillips turned the tide with a masterclass ton, Black Caps got a huge Phillips-Bracewell partnership boost

Glenn Phillips decided it was time to shift gears, stood his own ground in the middle and smashed a great ton 107(49), which included six fours and 10 sixes. With clean striking and an attacking mindset, he took on the Indian bowlers. Just when India felt they had control, the Kiwi batter stood tall to give his side the much-needed momentum. A counter attack knock that ensured New Zealand were not going down without a fight.

The middle overs phase firmly belonged to the hosts, as Phillips-Bracewell were looking to rip the bowlers apart. En route Michael Bracewell too notched up a quick fire 65(25). Both batters stitched a 115 runs partnership. Finally, the Kiwis ended with 259/7 in their 20 overs (Highest T20I total for the Black Caps).

Just not India’s day…as New Zealand cruised to victory

Unfortunately, it was just not India’s day as they ran into a well-oiled Kiwi unit that kept chipping away with regular wickets. Every time the Men in Blue were looking to build a partnership, New Zealand found a way to break through, piling on the pressure and refusing to let the game slip away from their hands. As wickets tumbled and India lost their way, New Zealand sniffed a win. The Black Caps had all the boxes ticked while India was left searching for answers as nothing went according to plan. Abhishek Sharma 27(15), Shreyas Iyer 22(11), Nitish Reddy 21(10) and Naman Dhir 28(13) all got good starts but were unable to convert the numbers into big scores. Tilak Varma also tried his best scoring 35 runs. Mitchell Santner picked 2/24 in his four overs spell; in the process he also snapped up his 150th T20I wicket. Jacob Duffy was the pick of the bowlers, snapping up 4/23. New Zealand won by 87 runs.

Brief Scores

New Zealand: 259/7 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 107, Michael Bracewell 65; Mayank Yadav 3/48) won against India: 172/9 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 35, Naman Dhir 28; Jacob Duffy 4/23) by 87 runs.