AUCKLAND, OCT 30 (IANS): Glenn Phillips’ explosive century and Jacob Duffy’s four-wicket haul powered New Zealand to a commanding 87-run victory over India in the fourth T20I at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday. Despite the defeat, India retain an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, having won the first three encounters.
Batting first, New Zealand produced a sensational performance to post a record 259/7, their highest-ever T20I total and the highest score by any team against India in the format. Phillips smashed 107 off just 49 deliveries, while Michael Bracewell contributed a blistering 65 from 25 balls to put the hosts in a commanding position. The highlight of the innings was a remarkable 115-run partnership between Phillips and Bracewell for the fifth wicket, which came off just 40 deliveries. Their explosive batting dismantled the Indian bowling attack and helped New Zealand surpass their previous highest T20I total of 254/5 against Scotland. The score also eclipsed England’s previous record of 257/3 against India.
For India, returning pacer Mayank Yadav was the most successful bowler, claiming 3-48 in his four overs. Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy picked up one wicket each. Arshdeep also reached a significant milestone, becoming the first Indian bowler to claim 150 wickets in T20 internationals. Chasing a daunting target of 260, India struggled from the outset as Duffy struck twice in the opening over, dismissing Sanju Samson (4) and Ishan Kishan (0) to leave the visitors in early trouble.
Abhishek Sharma (27) and Shreyas Iyer (22) attempted to revive the innings with aggressive batting, but both departed in quick succession as India slipped to 61/4 at the end of the powerplay.
Naman Dhir (28) and Tilak Varma (35) offered some resistance, but Duffy returned to dismiss Naman in the 12th over. He later removed Arshdeep Singh for a golden duck to complete an impressive four-wicket haul.
Tilak continued to fight amid the mounting required rate but was eventually dismissed by Matthew Fisher in the penultimate over. Fisher finished with two wickets, while Adam Milne also contributed with an important breakthrough, dismissing Shreyas. Prince Yadav provided some late resistance, remaining unbeaten on 18, including a six in the final over. However, India could only manage 172/9 in their 20 overs, falling well short of the target. The victory marked New Zealand’s first win of the ongoing series, while Phillips’ outstanding century and Duffy’s disciplined bowling ensured a memorable performance for the hosts.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 259/7 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 107, Michael Bracewell 65; Mayank Yadav 3-48, Arshdeep Singh 1-38) beat India (Tilak Varma 35, Naman Dhir 28; Jacob Duffy 4-23, Mitchell Santner 2-24) by 87 runs.
