Auckland roared as Glenn Phillips tore through the Indian attack, smashing 107 off just 49 balls to guide New Zealand to 259 for seven. It’s the highest total any team has ever posted against India in a T20I, shattering England’s previous benchmark of 257 set in Southampton earlier this year. The hosts didn’t just chase; they obliterated the record books in a frenetic display of power hitting.
The match swung on the 11th over. From 112 for four, New Zealand exploded to 227 for five by the 17.2nd over. Phillips and Michael Bracewell stitched together a 115-run partnership off only 41 deliveries, leaving India’s bowlers scrambling for a rhythm. It was a masterclass in aggressive intent, with the wicket-keeper-batter refusing to let the field set.
Phillips found his groove against Nitish Kumar Reddy, extracting 32 runs from the 16th over alone. The sequence? Four, six, six, six, six. Bracewell was no slouch, hitting Axar Patel for three fours and a six in a single over to reach his fifty in just 18 balls. Even Mayank Yadav, India’s best bowler that day, couldn’t contain the barrage as Bracewell flicked and scooped him for consecutive sixes.
Phillips has now moved to the top of the list for most runs in a T20I series against India, with 276 runs in this tour. He also took his third T20I century to a blistering 46 balls, hitting a straight six off Arshdeep Singh to cross the mark. The final five overs saw 85 more runs flow, sealing the historic score.