Glenn Phillips Century Powers New Zealand to 87-Run Win Over India
Glenn Phillips smashed a 49-ball century to lead New Zealand to a thumping 87-run win over India in the fourth T20I at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday. The Glenn Phillips century, built on 10 sixes, carried the hosts to 259 for 7, their highest total in the format, before India folded for 172 for 9.
Phillips reached 107 from just 49 balls. He found strong support from all-rounder Michael Bracewell, who struck 65 from 25 balls with six sixes of his own. Together, the pair turned a shaky innings into a record total and kept the five-match series alive.
India had won the toss for the fourth match in a row and chose to bowl first. The decision had served them well through the first three games, which gave them a 3-0 series lead. This time, the New Zealand batters made them pay.
Glenn Phillips century rebuilds New Zealand after early blows
Phillips walked to the crease with New Zealand at 34 for 2 in the third over. Opener Finn Allen gave him early support with 31 runs. When Bevon Jacobs fell in the 11th over, the hosts were wobbling at 112 for 4.
Bracewell changed the game on arrival. He and Phillips added 115 runs in only 40 balls, lifting the total to 227 for 5 by the time Bracewell fell in the 18th over. Phillips then took charge of the finish. He hit four straight sixes off Nitish Kumar Reddy in the 16th over as New Zealand plundered 85 runs from the last five overs.
India’s reply started badly and never recovered. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan both fell in the opening over to Jacob Duffy. Chasing more than 13 runs an over from the start, India lost wickets at regular intervals as the New Zealand bowlers adjusted far better to the Eden Park conditions than they had four days earlier in Wellington, where they had conceded 178 runs in the first 10 overs.
Captain Mitchell Santner struck twice in the ninth over to reach 150 T20I wickets, then added his 151st. Duffy took two wickets in two balls in the 12th over as India sank to 121 for 8. Duffy finished with 4 for 23 from his four overs, while Santner took 2 for 24. India closed on 172 for 9.
Why the win matters for the series
The result cuts India’s lead to 3-1 with one match left, and it gives New Zealand something real to defend in the decider. A 4-0 scoreline would have made the last game a dead rubber. Instead, the hosts head to Hamilton with momentum and a record total behind them.
The win also underlines how quickly a T20 series can turn on one innings. India had controlled the first three games, yet one partnership of 115 runs in 40 balls flipped the fourth completely. For New Zealand, the lesson is about holding their nerve through the middle overs. For India, it is a reminder that a 3-0 lead does not finish a five-match series.
The fifth and final T20I will be played in Hamilton on Sunday. India will want to close out a series they have dominated for long stretches, while New Zealand will chase a second straight win to finish 3-2 and leave the tour with a very different story to tell.
Pakistani readers will recognise the pattern from their own team’s recent cricket. Like Pakistan in the ongoing ODI tri-series in Lahore, New Zealand had to win to stay relevant in a series that looked decided, and one big individual performance changed the mood entirely. Feature Pakistan has covered the earlier games of the India-New Zealand series, including Tilak Varma’s match-winning turn in the second T20I and the series opener in Christchurch.
The original report on the fourth T20I was published by Geo Super.
How many runs did Glenn Phillips score?
Phillips scored 107 runs from 49 balls, hitting 10 sixes in the innings.
What was New Zealand’s total?
New Zealand posted 259 for 7, their highest total in T20I cricket.
What is the series score now?
India lead the five-match series 3-1 after New Zealand’s 87-run win in the fourth game.
When is the final T20I?
The fifth and final T20I will be played in Hamilton on Sunday.
