Phillips Spoils India's Clean Sweep Bid as New Zealand Win by 87 Runs

India had already wrapped up the five-match T20I series with an unassailable 3-0 lead, and they were looking to finish the job with a clean sweep. New Zealand had other plans. India won the toss and chose to bowl first, a decision that backfired badly on a day when the hosts' batters found their rhythm.

New Zealand posted 259 for 7 in their 20 overs, the highest total in the history of their T20I side. The innings was built around a record-breaking partnership and performance from Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell, whose aggressive hitting put the bowlers under pressure from the start and kept the scoreboard moving at a pace India could not match.

Chasing a target of that size was always going to be a steep task, and India never looked like getting close. They finished on 172 for 9, falling 87 runs short and seeing their hopes of a series whitewash disappear.

For India, the result does not change the fact that they had already secured the series, but it takes the shine off a dominant run and leaves a clean sweep off the table. For New Zealand, it is a result that will be remembered for the batting, with Phillips and Bracewell providing the defining moments of the match.