New Zealand posted a record 259/7 at Eden Park, eclipsing their previous T20I best and the highest score against India. India could only muster 172/9, falling short by 87 runs.
Phillips’ 107 off 49 balls, featuring 10 sixes, was the match‑maker. Bracewell added 65 off 25, and the duo piled 115 for the fifth wicket in just 40 balls. Duffy’s opening‑over double wicket collapse of Samson and Kishan left India in a precarious chase.
Arshdeep Singh celebrated his 150th T20I wicket, the first Indian bowler to reach that milestone, while Mayank Yadav took 3/48. New Zealand’s bowlers, led by Duffy’s 4/23, kept India from building any substantial partnership.
With the series locked at 3–1, India’s clean‑sweep dream is dead. The final T20I will take place Sunday at Seddon Park in Hamilton.