In the 4th T20I at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand bounced back with an 87-run victory to deny India a clean sweep, cutting India’s series lead to 3–1.
A breathtaking 107 off 49 deliveries from Glenn Phillips and a blistering 65 off 25 balls by Michael Bracewell propelled the Black Caps to 259/7—their highest-ever total in T20 Internationals.In response, Jacob Duffy tore through the Indian top order with 4/23 (including two wickets in the very first over), restricting the visitors to 172/9 in their 20 overs.
Match Summary Table
| Team | Score | Top Performers |
| New Zealand | 259/7 (20.0 ov) | Glenn Phillips: 107 (49) Michael Bracewell: 65 (25) Mayank Yadav: 3/48 (4) |
| India | 172/9 (20.0 ov) | Tilak Varma: 35 (35) Naman Dhir: 28 (13) Jacob Duffy: 4/23 (4) |
Result: New Zealand won by 87 runs (India leads 5-match series 3–1).
Toss and Team News
Having already sealed the series 3–0 after a dominant outing in the previous game, India elected to field first at Eden Park, backing their chasing prowess on Auckland’s famously short straight boundaries.India made two changes to test their bench strength and balance: wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan returned in place of young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, while Mayank Yadav replaced experienced seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
The decision to bowl first under overcast skies made sense on paper, but the sheer ferocity of New Zealand’s batting onslaught quickly turned Eden Park into a bowler’s graveyard.
1st Innings: The Phillips & Bracewell Storm
1. Mayank’s Early Double Strike
India began on a high note when Mayank Yadav struck in his opening burst, removing Tim Seifert (5) early. Daryl Mitchell walked out with all guns blazing, taking Mayank for 20 runs in four balls with consecutive sixes targeted straight down the ground. However, Mayank showed remarkable composure by firing in a sharp, full delivery to trap Mitchell plumb lbw for 24 off 9 deliveries.
2. The Mid-Innings Reset
Finn Allen kept the tempo humming with an aggressive cameo of 31 before being snared. Axar Patel bowled tight, economical spells into the middle overs, conceding just 43 in his allocation while accounting for Bevon Jacobs (5) to leave New Zealand slightly checked at 112/4 in the 11th over. At this point, India appeared to have the game within reasonable reach.
3. Carnage in the Death Overs
What followed was a clinic in boundary-hitting from Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell, who put on a breathless 115-run stand off just 40 deliveries.
- Phillips utilized his fast hands and immense power to clear both Eden Park’s short straight fences and square boundary traps. In the 16th over bowled by Nitish Kumar Reddy, Phillips hammered four huge maximums and a boundary as 32 runs leaked in a single over.
- Bracewell matched him blow for blow, reaching his half-century in just 19 balls—taking Mayank Yadav apart for three sixes in a 20-run 17th over.
- Prince Yadav broke the stand in the 18th over with an exceptional toe-crushing yorker to trap Bracewell for 65, but Phillips went on to bring up an electrifying century off just 46 balls.
- Although Arshdeep Singh achieved a major milestone by becoming the first Indian bowler to claim 150 T20I wickets, New Zealand had already marched to a mammoth 259/7. Nitish Reddy bore the brunt of the assault, returning expensive figures of 1/64 in 4 overs.
2nd Innings: Duffy’s Opening Over Crushes India’s Chase
Facing a record target of 260 at an required run rate of 13.00, India needed their top order to fire right out of the gates. Instead, Jacob Duffy produced a devastating opening over that essentially decided the contest.
1. Top-Order Collapse Inside the Powerplay
Duffy struck twice in his first six deliveries:
- Sanju Samson fell trying to force the pace immediately.
- Ishan Kishan, returning to the XI, was dismissed for a golden duck to leave India reeling at 0/2.
Abhishek Sharma looked to counterattack with a quickfire 27 off 15 deliveries, sending Duffy and Matthew Fisher into the stands.Captain Shreyas Iyer also joined in with purposeful intent, striking 22 off 11 balls. However, the mountain of runs proved too steep to chase without risks. Adam Milne knocked back Shreyas Iyer’s leg stump with raw pace, and Abhishek was caught attempting another big pull, reducing India to 46/4.
2. Middle-Order Struggle
Nitish Kumar Reddy struck a rapid 21 off 10 balls before gifting his wicket to Mitchell Santner off the Kiwi skipper’s first ball. Tilak Varma took up the anchor role, but the required rate climbed past 18 runs per over. Naman Dhir played a blistering cameo, blasting 28 off just 13 deliveries to inject brief life into the Indian camp.
3. Duffy Cleans Up the Tail
Jacob Duffy returned in the 12th over to snuff out any lingering Indian resistance. He removed Naman Dhir and Arshdeep Singh off consecutive balls to break India’s back. Tilak Varma top-scored with a fighting 35 off 35 deliveries before falling to Matthew Fisher.India batted out their 20 overs to finish at 172/9, falling well short by 87 runs.
Key Takeaways
- New Zealand’s Redemption: After three sub-par batting outings in the series, New Zealand’s middle order showed its destructive ceiling. Phillips and Bracewell used the geometry of Eden Park to perfection.
- Death-Over Vulnerabilities: In the absence of primary frontline death specialists, India’s bowling in overs 13–18 leaked nearly 90 runs, demonstrating the need for precise execution against world-class hitters on smaller grounds.
- Jacob Duffy’s Impact:Defending high totals is never easy at Eden Park, but Duffy’s 4/23 was the definitive match-winning bowling performance, eliminating India’s top order before they could construct an assault.
- Series Context:While India still holds an unassailable 3–1 series lead, this emphatic 87-run rout halts their clean-sweep momentum ahead of the 5th and final T20I at Seddon Park, Hamilton.
