Glenn Phillips has been the player for New Zealand through consistency and he stood out tonight in Auckland. Glenn Phillips dazzled under the lights in Auckland as his 107 off 49 balls laid the base for a huge score with good support from Michael Bracewell who made 65 off 25 balls alongside Finn Allen who made 31 off 17 balls and Daryl Mitchell who made 24 off 9 balls as the Kiwis plundered 259/7 in 20 overs.
The Indian bowlers went on a leather hunt with Mayank Yadav finishing with 3 wickets while Arshdeep Singh bowled a decent spell. India were all over the place and have a massive job in hand going forward.
New Zealand gets off to a rolicking start despite double strike from Mayank Yadav inside the power play.Â
Put into bat first yet again, Tim Seifert and Finn Allen came out to open the batting for New Zealand while Mayank Yadav had the ball in hand for India. Mayank overstepped but came back to draw first blood for India as Seifert was dismissed for 3 off 5 balls as he played the upper cut down to Prince Yadav at third man. Daryl Mitchell came out to bat next. Arshdeep Singh had the ball in hand from the other end and delivered a wide but kept things under check.
Mayank continued as Mitchell too him on by going down the ground flat and hard for the maximum. Mitchell cleared his front leg and thumped it over long-on for the maximum. Mitchell then reached out to squeeze the ball and got the outside edge that went away to the third man fence for a boundary. Mitchell was in his zone as he cut the ball through the point region square of the wicket for a boundary.
Mayank hit back immediately as the fuller length delivery deceived the batter and caught Mitchell in front for 24 off 9 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name where Mitchell wasted the DRS as well. Glenn Phillips came out to bat next. Prince Yadav came into the attack next. Phillips got off the mark with a boundary with a short arm jab over midwicket for a boundary. Allen joined in the fun as he swivel pulled the ball through deep backward square leg for a boundary. Arshdeep Singh returned to the attack as Phillips took him on by clearing his front leg and whipped it away over deep backward square leg for the maximum.
Prince continued to bowl the last over of power play. Phillips slammed him straight down the ground over long-off for the maximum. Phillips was in the zone as he mistimed the pull over cow corner as the ball cleared the in-field and went away slowly to the boundary ropes and touched the cushions as well. Phillips used the angle of the bowler and flicked it fine past fine leg for a boundary. New Zealand were 67/2 in 6 overs with Phillips unbeaten on 26 off 14 balls alongside Allen unbeaten on 12 off 9 balls. We now entered the middle phase of the game.
Glenn Phillips drives New Zealand’s charge in the middle overs despite losing a couple of wickets.Â
Nitish Kumar Reddy came into the attack post the power play. Phillips dispatched him away by clearing his front leg and whipped it towards deep backward square leg for a boundary. Nitish conceded a wide but bowled a decent first over of his spell. Axar Patel came into the attack next as Allen welcomed him with a boundary as he rocked back and clipped it to the short fine leg region for a boundary. Allen took on Axar as he rocked back and smoked it over deep midwicket for the maximum. The 50-run stand came up between the two players.
Allen took on Axar again as he rocked back and pulled it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Axar had the last laugh as he dismissed Allen for 31 off 17 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes to his name as the batter was holed out at deep point. Bevon-John Jacobs came out to bat next. Nitish continued as Phillips stood deep in the crease and heaved it over deep midwicket for the maximum. The 100 came up for New Zealand in 8.3 overs.
Axar continued to bowl the 10th over and bowled a much better over. New Zealand were 109/3 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the game as we all paused for the Drinks Break in Auckland. Mayank Yadav came back into the attack post the break and he got India the breakthrough by dismissing Jacobs for 7 off 7 balls as pace and bounce brought about the downfall of the batter. Michael Bracewell came out to bat next and got off the mark next.
Naman Dhir came into the attack next. Bracewell rocked back and swivel pulled the ball over deep square leg for a boundary. Phillips got into the act as dragged it away between deep square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary. Bracewell got into the act as he hit Naman by getting to the pitch of the ball and went inside out over extra cover for the maximum. Prince came back into the attack next as Phillips got to his half-century off 31 balls.
Phillips took on Prince and launched the ball over long-off for the maximum. Bracewell then clobbered the ball over long-on for the maximum. Axar Patel came back into the attack as Bracewell got down on one knee and slog swept it between deep midwicket and long-on for a boundary as the 150 came up for New Zealand in 13.1 overs. Bracewell got down one knee and swept it to deep backward square leg for a boundary. Bracewell was in the mood as he tore apart Axar with the maximum with a launch over the umpire’s head for the maximum.
Bracewell threw his hands at the ball and slapped it over Iyer at point for a boundary. Phillips then got a lifeline batting on 57* when he skied the ball and Naman Dhir over ran it and missed the ball with New Zealand being 166/4 in 13.5 overs. Arshdeep Singh came back into the attack to bowl the 15th over of the innings. He conceded a wide but bowled a much better over from India’s point of view. At the end of 15 overs, New Zealand were 174/4 with Phillips unbeaten on 60 off 36 balls alongside Bracewell unbeaten on 44 off 17 balls. We now entered the death overs phase of the game now.
Glenn Phillips’ brutal ton & Michael Bracewell’s breathtaking knock powers New Zealand to a massive 259/7 in 20 overs.Â
Nitish Kumar Reddy came back into the attack as India wasted a DRS for LBW appeal against Bracewell. Phillips got a high full toss and pulled it between deep backward square leg and deep midwicket for a boundary and no ball was called. Free hit yielded a brace for Phillips. Phillips got into the act as he carved it sweetly over covers for the maximum. Phillips went big as he cleared his front leg and sent it over long-off for the maximum. Phillips went big again as he sliced it between short third man and deep backward point for the maximum as the 200 came up for New Zealand in 15.5 overs.
Phillips went big again as he muscled the ground over long-off for the maximum as 32 runs came off the over. Mayank continued as Bracewell scooped the ball over the keeper’s head for the maximum. Bracewell reached his fifty in 19 balls. Bracewell used the pace on offer and scooped it over fine leg for the maximum. Bracewell got another big hit as he swivel pulled it over long leg for the maximum.
Prince came back into the attack and he removed Bracewell for 65 off 25 balls with 4 fours and 6 sixes to his name LBW as it was a good ball. The review was taken by the batter and the decision was upheld. The Kiwis lost both their reviews now. 50th wicket in T20s it was for Prince Yadav. Captain Mitchell Santner came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace. Prince bowled a decent 18th over.
Arshdeep came to bowl the 19th over and delivered a hat-trick of wide balls. Phillips went straight down the ground over the bowler’s head for the maximum and got to his 3rd T20I hundred in 46 balls. Santner was eventually dismissed by Arshdeep for 5 off 6 balls as he sliced it straight to the fielder in the deep. Nathan Smith came out to bat next.
Nitish came to bowl the last over as India were dealt a fielding penalty for slow over rate. Phillips threw his hands at it and sliced it over deep backward point for the maximum. Reddy came back and got rid of Phillips for 107 off 49 balls with 6 fours and 10 sixes to his name where Abhishek took a good catch in the deep. Adam Milne came out to bat next and got off the mark soon.
Nathan Smith finished the innings on a high as Smith swung hard and got the thick outside edge that went behind square for a boundary at third man. New Zealand finished with 259/7 in 20 overs with Nathan unbeaten on 6 off 3 balls with one four to his name while Milne remained unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball. 10 extras given by the Indian bowlers.
It was a tough outing for the Indian bowlers in Auckland. Mayank Yadav finished with 3/48 in 4 overs and was good with the new ball. Arshdeep Singh finished with 1/38 in 4 overs. Prince Yadav finished with 1/49 in 4 overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy finished with 1/64 in 4 overs. Axar Patel finished with 1/43 in 3 overs. Naman Dhir bowled an over for 16 runs. So, India needs a record chase of 260 runs to win the contest to increase their series lead to 4-0.
Who’s Winning, New Zealand or India?Â
New Zealand have got a humongous score on the board. 259 is huge in any ground to be honest. It will take a hell of an effort from India to chase this down no matter how big and long the batting department can be. New Zealand surely have got enough runs on the board. India have to bat out of their skins in our view. Let’s see how the run chase pans out for all of us.
Also Read: NZ vs IND: 3 Reasons For New Zealand’s Humiliating Defeat