New Zealand Beat India by 7 Wickets in 5th T20I, But India Take Series 3-2

New Zealand beat India by seven wickets in the fifth and final T20I in Hamilton on Sunday, with Tim Seifert scoring 93 and Glenn Phillips setting a world record. India won the series 3-2 despite the defeat.

India had already sealed the series. They led 3-1 after four matches. The fifth T20I was a dead rubber. But New Zealand played like it was a final.

The Seifert Show

Tim Seifert, who had a quiet series before this match, produced the innings of his life. He smashed 93 off 50 balls, hitting 11 fours and five sixes. He was dismissed in the 18th over, just seven runs short of what would have been his maiden T20I century .

New Zealand chased down India’s 192 in 18 overs, finishing on 195/3. Glenn Phillips was unbeaten on 65 off 38 balls, finishing the job .

Phillips’ World Record

Phillips’ unbeaten 65 took his series tally to 341 runs, the most by any batter in a bilateral T20I series. He broke England’s Phil Salt’s previous record of 331, set against West Indies in 2023 .

Phillips was in scintillating form throughout the series. He scored 82 not out, 70, 17, and 107 in the first four matches. His 107 in Auckland was the innings that kept New Zealand alive. And his 65 in Hamilton was the innings that gave them a consolation win .

India’s Batting Collapse

India were put in to bat and struggled early. They were 19/2 before Shreyas Iyer (50) and Ishan Kishan (61) rebuilt the innings with a 93-run partnership. But they could not accelerate at the death, finishing on 191/8 .

Adam Milne was the destroyer. The New Zealand fast bowler took 4/19, his best figures in T20Is, and was named Player of the Match. He dismissed Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson early, and returned to clean up the tail .

My Take: This Was a Dead Rubber. It Did Not Feel Like One.

Everyone will say the series was already won. They will say India did not need to win this match. They will say the result does not matter.

That is true. But it misses the point.

New Zealand could have folded. They had lost three straight matches. Their captain, Mitchell Santner, had admitted that the series could have gone either way . They had nothing to play for except pride.

And they played like it.

Seifert’s 93 was the innings of a player who had been waiting for his moment. Phillips’ record was the reward for a series of consistency that no one had matched. Milne’s 4/19 was the spell of a bowler who wanted to prove he belonged.

India, by contrast, looked flat. They were missing Rohit Sharma, who had been rested. Their bowling was expensive. Their batting was slow. And they lost.

It does not matter in the series scoreline. But it matters for the momentum. India have a Test series against South Africa starting November 14. They need to find their rhythm again.

What Happens Next

India travel home for the Test series against South Africa, starting November 14 in Kolkata. Shubman Gill will captain. Rishabh Pant returns. And the selectors have a dilemma: Dhruv Jurel scored twin centuries for India A and is pushing for a place .

New Zealand, meanwhile, will reflect on a series they lost but could have won. Santner said the early defeats in Christchurch shaped the outcome. “India won the series, could’ve been the other way around,” he said .

The series is over. The record is Phillips’. And India have a Test series to prepare for.

FAQs

Who won the 5th T20I between India and New Zealand?
New Zealand won by seven wickets in Hamilton on Sunday .

Who won the series?
India won the five-match series 3-2, despite losing the last two matches .

What world record did Glenn Phillips set?
Phillips set the record for most runs in a bilateral T20I series, with 341 runs. He broke Phil Salt’s previous record of 331 .

Who was Player of the Match?
Adam Milne, for his 4/19 with the bal.