The romantic five-match T20 tournament between India and New Zealand concluded quite dramatically. In the final match, the New Zealand team defeated India by seven wickets.
Nevertheless, the Indian team managed to win the series 3-2, having won the initial matches. However, the true hero of this series was Glenn Phillips. He scored such a high number of runs throughout the tournament that he set a world record for the most runs in bilateral T20 international series.
In five matches, Glenn Phillips scored a total of 340 runs, thereby making his name history. His performance in the concluding match was also outstanding.
India, having lost the toss, started the game by scoring 191 runs in 20 overs, losing eight batsmen. Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer were on the field at the start of the game. It seemed the score would easily exceed 200, but after losing three batsmen in just 21 overs, the team faltered slightly. Several easy catches by the New Zealand fielders helped India.
New Zealand, chasing a target of 192 runs, faced a poor start. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Finn Allen (2 runs) in the second over. Then Daryl Mitchell played quickly, scoring 29 runs with four sixes in 16 overs, before being dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy. Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips then came onto the field, actively attacking the Indian bowlers.
Seifert almost reached his century but was dismissed by Nitish Kumar Reddy's ball. Seifert demonstrated magnificent play, scoring 93 runs with 11 fours and 5 sixes in 50 overs. The partnership between Seifert and Phillips, which led to a century, completely changed the course of the match. Ultimately, Phillips sealed his team's victory by seven wickets, scoring a half-century without getting out.