India concluded their five-match
New Zealand’s pursuit of 192 was clinical, with
India's batting collapse and the impact of Milne
The match began with India struggling to build momentum after early losses. Abhishek Sharma departed for one and Sanju Samson, who has struggled for consistency throughout the series, fell for just four. However,
The pair’s 93-run partnership in 43 balls propelled India to 111-2 at the halfway mark, setting the stage for a potential total well beyond 200. The momentum shifted dramatically when Adam Milne entered the fray. His fiery spell of 4-19 dismantled the lower order, and with Blair Tickner and Nathan Smith also finding success, India was restricted to 191-8. Despite late contributions from Naman Dhir (33) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (22), the visitors failed to capitalize on their strong start.
Seifert and Phillips dominate the chase
New Zealand’s response was aggressive from the outset. Tim Seifert, who was dropped by Naman Dhir when on 13, punished India’s fielding errors throughout his innings. He shared a 73-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell before joining forces with Phillips for an 86-run stand that effectively decided the match. Phillips, who finished the series with a total of 341 runs, remained a constant threat, hitting eight fours and three sixes to guide his team home.
While the result was disappointing for the visitors, Ishan Kishan achieved a notable personal milestone. His innings moved him to 1,220 T20I runs for 2026, eclipsing the previous record held by Suryakumar Yadav for the most runs by an Indian in a single calendar year. Additionally, the knock saw Kishan surpass the 2,000-run mark in his T20I career. India will now look to address their bowling and fielding inconsistencies as they transition to the ODI format.
