Cricket / Glenn Phillips breaks world record as New Zealand outgun India in 5th T20I

Hamilton, Nov 1: New Zealand capped off the T20I series with a stunning display of power-hitting as Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips spearheaded a successful 192-run chase, handing India a seven-wicket defeat in the fifth and final match at Seddon Park.

The hosts chased down a challenging target of 192 with remarkable ease, completing their highest-ever successful T20I run chase against India with 12 balls to spare.

Although India had already secured the series by winning the opening three matches, New Zealand ensured they finished strongly by taking the final two games and reducing the margin to 3-2.

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The chase got off to a shaky start when Finn Allen departed early after being caught off Arshdeep Singh. However, Seifert and Daryl Mitchell steadied the innings before launching a counterattack. New Zealand raced to 59/1 inside the powerplay, with India's bowlers struggling for consistency and control.

Seifert, who had endured a quiet series until the decider, finally found his rhythm. The right-hander played with aggression and composure, putting pressure on the Indian attack from the outset. After receiving an early reprieve on 13, he made the most of the opportunity and went on to score a scintillating 93.

The turning point came through a devastating third-wicket stand between Seifert and Glenn Phillips. The pair added 86 runs in just 42 deliveries, effectively taking the contest away from India.

Phillips continued his sensational form throughout the series, remaining unbeaten on 65 while registering his fourth half-century in five matches.

The innings also saw Phillips enter the record books. His aggregate of 341 runs in the series eclipsed Phil Salt's previous record of 331 runs for the most runs scored by a batter in a bilateral T20I series. The New Zealand star capped off a memorable campaign with another match-winning performance.

India's bowling effort lacked penetration despite wickets from Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Seifert eventually fell for 93 with New Zealand needing only 29 more runs, but Phillips ensured there were no further hiccups, guiding the hosts home in the 18th over.

Earlier, India posted 191/8 after recovering from a poor start. Openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson departed cheaply, leaving the visitors under pressure. Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer responded impressively, stitching together a crucial 93-run partnership for the third wicket.

Kishan struck a fluent 61, while Shreyas contributed an even-paced 50 to lay the foundation for a big total. Late cameos from Naman Dhir (33) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (22) pushed India close to the 200-run mark, though regular wickets prevented them from fully capitalising.

For New Zealand, Adam Milne was the standout bowler, returning excellent figures of 4/19 from four overs. Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner chipped in with two wickets apiece to keep India's scoring in check.

Despite the defeat, India emerged as the series winners with a 3-2 triumph, while New Zealand took valuable momentum and confidence from a convincing performance in the final encounter.

Brief Scores: India 191/8 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 61, Shreyas Iyer 50; Adam Milne 4-19, Nathan Smith 2-28) lose to New Zealand (Tim Seifert 93, Glenn Phillips 65*; Nitish Kumar Reddy 1-19, Arshdeep Singh 1-40) by seven wickets.

(IANS)