IND vs NZ: Glenn Phillips ton powers New Zealand to dominant 87-run win over India in Auckland

Powered by a magnificent century from Glenn Phillips and a fluent half-century from Michael Bracewell, New Zealand thrashed India by 87 runs in the fourth T20I in Auckland on Friday to claim their first victory of the T20I series and avoid a series sweep.

Phillips slammed 107 off 49 balls at a strike rate of 218.37, while Bracewell smashed 65 off just 25 balls striking at 260.00. With the help of these two batters, New Zealand put a mammoth total of 259 runs — the highest total of the series, after being invited to bat first. In response, Team India were bowled out for 172 runs. 

It has been a difficult year for Indian bowlers, who have conceded 200-plus totals on 11 occasions in 2026.

After being put in to bat, New Zealand got off to a shaky start as Mayank Yadav dismissed opener Tim Seifert for just 3 in the first over. The Indian pacer bounced back impressively in his next over after conceding 20 runs in his following over, removing Daryl Mitchell for 24 to leave the hosts reeling at 34/2.
From there, Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips took control, driving the Kiwis’ innings forward. Finn Allen scored 31 runs off 31 balls. Bevon Jacobs (7) also failed in this match. Michael Bracewell then walked out to join Phillips in the middle as New Zealand looked to rebuild and accelerate.

Bracewell and Glenn Phillips then launched a brutal assault on the Indian bowlers, smashing them to all parts of the ground. The duo stitched together a breathtaking 115-run stand off just 40 deliveries before Prince Yadav finally broke the partnership by dismissing Bracewell. Following Bracewell’s dismissal, Phillips continued his assault on the Indian bowlers, bringing up a magnificent century in emphatic fashion by dispatching India’s ace pacer Arshdeep Singh over the boundary for a towering six. 

New Zealand finished their innings at a formidable 259/7, setting India a massive target of 260 for victory. For the visitors, Mayank Yadav led the bowling attack with three wickets, while Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel chipped in with a wicket apiece.

In response, Team India got a disastrous start. Sanju Samson (4) was dismissed on the second ball, while Ishan Kishan (0) was dismissed on the 5th ball of the very first over. Captain Shreyas Iyer (22 off 11) was struggling once again. The pressure of the daunting target claimed another crucial wicket as previous-match hero Abhishek Sharma fell for 27 runs off 15 deliveries. 

For India, Tilak Varma was the highest scorer with 35 runs, playing at a run-a-ball pace. For NZ, Jacob Duffy picked up 4 wickets, while Mitchell Santner and Matthew Fisher took 2 wickets each. 
Glenn Phillips received the player of the match for his brilliant century. The last T20I will be played at Hamilton on November 1, Sunday.