Phillips' 107 leads New Zealand to 87-run win over India in 4th T20I

Glenn Phillips scores historic 107-run century

Glenn Phillips scored 107 runs from 49 balls to secure the victory for New Zealand in the fourth T20I. He reached his century in 46 balls during the match.

This performance marked his third T20I hundred and allowed New Zealand to pull one back after three successive defeats.

Key partnerships and batting support

Phillips and Finn Allen established a 59-run partnership for the third wicket. Following the dismissals of Allen and Bevon Jacobs in quick succession, Michael Bracewell joined Phillips to add 115 runs in just 41 balls for the fifth wicket.

Bracewell contributed 65 runs from 25 deliveries during his time at the crease. This innings included two consecutive sixes struck off Mayank Yadav, executed with a flick and a scoop.

Bowling performance and individual milestones

Jacob Duffy spearheaded the New Zealand bowling attack, taking four wickets to help the side secure an 87-run victory.

During the Indian innings, Arshdeep Singh reached a personal milestone by becoming the first Indian cricketer to reach 150 T20I wickets.

Phillips reflects on IPL experience and physical fitness

Phillips reflected on his 2026 IPL season with the Gujarat Titans, where he appeared in six matches and scored 67 runs, with a highest score of 25.

Speaking about the tournament's competitiveness, Phillips remarked, "The IPL is a certain beast of its own and the balance of teams being one of eight overseas (players) with only four spots (in the eleven) make it quite tough." Consequently, if you fail to go out and set the world ablaze, another individual will always be waiting in line.

He noted that the IPL offered valuable lessons beyond his modest run tally and stressed the importance of making the most of the experience regardless of playing time. Reflecting on his time in India, he said, "At Gujarat, I was very lucky to have some unbelievable facilities, some great coaches and plenty of time to work (on his batting)".

Phillips did not field during India's innings as a precautionary measure after feeling stiffness and cramps early in the game. He clarified, "I think it's just a little bit of stiffness that I felt early on in the innings." He added, "But it felt a lot better as we ran through the game and I think it was more precautionary rather to stay on top of it and avoid the risk of getting injured this early on in the season".

Strategic approach at Eden Park

Phillips described Eden Park as a fantastic pitch where "crazy things happen". He noted that a team needs a tonne of runs to have a chance of beating India.

Phillips stated that New Zealand required an additional run cushion when facing a formidable Indian batting line-up. He added that reaching the 250-run range for the first time would boost confidence.

India's response to the defeat

Shreyas Iyer addressed the 87-run loss to New Zealand in the 4th T20I. He stated that it is "Important to retrospect" following the defeat.

Recent form and series context

Phillips tops the series scoring chart with 276 runs across four games, averaging 92. His performance includes one hundred and two fifties.

Earlier in the year, Phillips scored 181 runs across four innings in the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy at an average of 60, including one hundred. New Zealand defeated England 2-1 in the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy series, signalling the conclusion of the Bazball era launched by Brendon McCullum.