New Zealand wins final T20I as India clinches series 3-2

India restricted to 191/8 in first innings

India concluded their innings with a total of 191/8 in their 20 overs after being sent into bat. Jacob Duffy bowled the opening over for New Zealand, while Adam Milne dismissed Abhishek Sharma for one run in the second over with a catch taken by Daryl Mitchell.

Sanju Samson was out for four runs off ten balls, leaving India at 19/2 after 3.1 overs. Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer stabilized the innings with a 93-run partnership for the third wicket. This stand helped India reach 112 for 2 in 10.1 overs.

Ishan Kishan scored 61 runs off 32 balls, including five fours and five sixes, before Blair Tickner dismissed him with a catch taken by Nathan Smith. Shreyas Iyer reached a half-century in 22 balls and finished with 50 runs off 23 balls, featuring three fours and four sixes, before Nathan Smith dismissed him.

Nathan Smith dismissed Tilak Varma caught and bowled for six runs after previously overstepping on a delivery to him. Naman Dhir scored 33 runs from 23 balls, hitting four fours and a six, which included a massive six off a full-toss from Tickner.

Nitish Kumar Reddy added 22 runs off 17 balls before being caught by Glenn Phillips from a delivery by Tickner. Adam Milne took his fourth wicket of the match by dismissing Bhuvneshwar Kumar for six runs. Milne finished the match with bowling figures of 4 for 19.

Seifert and Phillips lead New Zealand's successful chase

New Zealand chased the 192-run target set by India, finishing with 195/3 in 18 overs to secure a seven-wicket victory with two overs to spare. In the second over of the chase, Arshdeep Singh dismissed Finn Allen for two runs, with wicket-keeper Ishan Kishan taking the catch.

Tim Seifert and Daryl Mitchell stabilized the innings, forming a 73-run partnership for the second wicket. India’s Naman Dhir dropped Seifert in the fourth over when the batsman was on 13 off 15 balls. India used both of its DRS reviews within the first seven overs, including a failed attempt to dismiss Mitchell after ball-tracking indicated the impact was outside off.

Seifert accelerated the scoring by hitting 20 runs in a single over off Bhuvneshwar Kumar with two sixes and two fours. Daryl Mitchell added momentum by striking back-to-back sixes off Prince. Varun Chakravarthy conceded 18 runs in an over that included four consecutive fours hit by Seifert and Glenn Phillips.

Abhishek Sharma bowled an over that conceded 13 runs, which was described as a gamble by Shreyas Iyer that backfired. Varun Chakravarthy eventually broke the partnership between Seifert and Mitchell by dismissing Mitchell, who was caught by Abhishek Sharma at long-off. Chakravarthy finished the match having conceded 31 runs in his final two overs.

Tim Seifert scored 93 runs off 50 balls before he was dismissed by an inside edge off Nitish Kumar Reddy, caught behind, ending his innings seven runs short of a maiden T20I century. Glenn Phillips remained unbeaten on 65 runs off 38 balls, partnering with Seifert to lead the successful chase. Bevon Jacobs contributed one run off one ball to help finalize the victory.

Glenn Phillips sets record for most runs in a bilateral T20I series

Glenn Phillips remained unbeaten on 65 runs after hitting back-to-back boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. That knock represented his fourth half-century of the tournament, placing him as just the third player to register four fifty-or-more scores in a five‑game T20I series. Accumulating 341 runs, both sports.ndtv.com and cricinfo.com noted that Phillips set a new record for the highest run tally in a bilateral T20I series.

Adam Milne delivers match-winning bowling figures

Adam Milne recorded bowling figures of 4-0-19-4 for New Zealand, taking wickets in both the powerplay and the death overs. Adam Milne bowled the final over of the match, taking two wickets for seven runs to finish with his final tally of 4/19.

Captains and coaches reflect on the series

India captain Shreyas Iyer presented the trophy to Naman Dhir following the conclusion of the T20I series. Iyer identified fielding as a key area for improvement, remarking that playing under "dark lights, clear skies" in New Zealand is a "great learning curve".

Regarding the fifth T20I, Iyer noted that India lost momentum after he and Ishan were dismissed. He described the wicket as challenging because the ball was "seaming and holding a bit" and "skidding through at times".

Coach Ravi Shastri said the pitch offered considerably more assistance to bowlers than previous games, leaving India 15-20 runs short. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner praised his team's bowling depth and the consistency of Glenn Phillips, calling him a "crucial part" of their batting success throughout the series.

In the second T20I, India successfully chased 46 runs off the final 18 balls against Santner's bowling after a "brutal assault" by Tilak and Nitish.

Upcoming ODI series begins on November 4

Following successive wins against India, New Zealand approaches the forthcoming ODI series feeling confident. The five-match ODI series between India and New Zealand begins on Wednesday, November 4.

The first ODI of the series will take place in Auckland. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have started preparations for the ODI series at Eden Park in Auckland.