New Zealand gave India a taste of their own medicine at Eden Park on Friday, powering to a record total before bowling the visitors out cheaply to win the fourth T20 international by 87 runs. Glenn Phillips smashed 107 off 49 balls and Michael Bracewell struck 65 off 25 deliveries as the hosts posted 259 for 7, then Jacob Duffy took 4 for 23 as India were restricted to 172 for 9 in reply.
The result was New Zealand’s first win of the five-match series. India, who had already taken an unassailable 3-0 lead before this match, now lead 3-1, with the fifth and final game scheduled for Sunday, November 1, at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
Key Takeaways
- New Zealand posted 259 for 7 at Eden Park, their highest T20 international total, and beat India by 87 runs in the fourth T20I.
- Glenn Phillips scored 107 off 49 balls, reaching his century off 46 balls, while Michael Bracewell added a rapid 65 off 25 balls.
- Jacob Duffy took 4 for 23 as India were bowled out for 172 for 9, leaving the series at 3-1 ahead of the Hamilton finale.
Phillips and Bracewell Power a Record Total
Sent in to bat first, New Zealand built an innings that kept accelerating. Phillips anchored the assault with a century that included 10 sixes, and his partnership with Bracewell changed the shape of the match. The pair added 115 runs from 40 balls for the fifth wicket, according to match reports, and New Zealand scored 150 runs in the final 10 overs.
New Zealand posted 259 for 7, their highest total in T20 internationals and the highest by any team against India in the format. The hosts hit 20 sixes in the innings, a team record, and Phillips reached his hundred with a six over long-off in the 19th over. One over from Nitish Kumar Reddy went for 32 runs, including four consecutive sixes from Phillips, and underlined how completely the momentum had swung.
New Zealand posted 259 for 7, their highest total in T20 internationals and the highest by any team against India in the format.
Mayank Yadav was the pick of India’s bowlers with 3 for 48 on his return, while Arshdeep Singh took 1 for 38. Arshdeep was also the only Indian bowler to concede fewer than 10 runs per over on a night when the Eden Park boundaries and a fast outfield punished almost every loose ball. Nitish finished with 1 for 64, among the most expensive figures recorded by an Indian bowler in T20 internationals.
- New Zealand 259 for 7 in 20 overs: Glenn Phillips 107 off 49 balls, Michael Bracewell 65 off 25 balls.
- India 172 for 9 in 20 overs: Tilak Varma 35, Naman Dhir 28; Jacob Duffy 4 for 23, Mitchell Santner 2 for 24.
- New Zealand hit 20 sixes, a team record in T20 internationals, and scored 150 runs in the last 10 overs.
- Phillips reached his century off 46 balls and finished with 107 off 49 balls, including 10 sixes.
- The series now stands at 3-1 to India, with the final match in Hamilton on November 1.
Duffy Strikes Early as India’s Chase Falters
India’s chase never recovered from a brutal start. Duffy removed opener Sanju Samson for 4 and Ishan Kishan for 0 in the first over, and India were soon struggling at 61 for 4 at the end of the powerplay after Abhishek Sharma and captain Shreyas Iyer also fell cheaply. Adam Milne dismissed Iyer, and the early damage left the middle order chasing a required rate that kept climbing.
Tilak Varma top-scored with 35 and Naman Dhir made 28, but the partnership could not turn the match. Duffy returned to dismiss Naman in the 12th over, helped by a relay catch on the deep mid-wicket boundary from Daryl Mitchell and Nathan Smith, and later removed Arshdeep Singh for a golden duck. Santner supported him with 2 for 24, and India’s innings closed at 172 for 9, a long way short of the target.
India captain Shreyas Iyer acknowledged after the match that the bowling unit had performed below par, and said the team needed to go back to the drawing board before the final match. The defeat was India’s first batting collapse of the series, after three wins built on aggressive batting and early breakthroughs with the ball.
What the Result Changes, and What It Does Not
The scale of the win matters even though the series outcome is already settled in India’s favour. New Zealand had lost the first three matches, and a heavy defeat in Auckland would have left them heading to Hamilton with little momentum. Instead, they leave Eden Park with a record total, a century from their in-form batter, and a bowling performance built on early wickets and disciplined death bowling from Duffy and Santner.
For India, the match was a reminder of how quickly a T20 game can move away from a side when the powerplay goes wrong at both ends. The bowlers conceded a record total, and the batters then lost four wickets inside the first six overs of the chase. The series lead means the defeat does not change the overall result, but it does give New Zealand a clear template for Hamilton: bat first if possible, attack through the middle overs, and strike early with the new ball.
The wider cricket picture on the same day also underlined how much international cricket is being played at once, from Rashid Khan’s 200-wicket milestone in T20 internationals to South Africa’s Test win over Australia at Newlands. Auckland’s record night now sits alongside those results as one of the standout performances of the weekend.
What to Watch Next
What to watch next is whether New Zealand can carry the Eden Park batting form into the final match in Hamilton on November 1, and whether India can correct the bowling and powerplay problems that cost them in Auckland. The other questions are whether Phillips can finish the series as its dominant batter, whether Duffy can repeat his early breakthroughs with the new ball, and whether India can close out a 4-1 series win or New Zealand can narrow the margin to 3-2. Until those questions are answered, the Auckland result stands as New Zealand’s statement win of the series: a record total, a century, and an 87-run margin that showed what the hosts can do when their batting and bowling click on the same night.