Glenn Phillips flair not enough in record T20 opener against India

Black Caps allrounder Glenn Phillips is encouraged by their performance despite coming out on the wrong side of a record-breaking T20 game against India.New Zealand scored 225 for four after being asked to bat first in the opening international in Christchurch. It was their highest total against India at home.India then completed a record successful run chase, getting home with two balls to spare to score a four-wicket victory.The tourists chase got off to a flyer with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma putting on 93 for the first wicket in 5.5 overs.Glenn Phillips of the Black Caps© Photosport Ltd 2026 www.photosport.nz"The boys actually pulled it back really well, considering that they basically hit us for 96 in six overs," Phillips said after the game."To take it down to the last over with a side like that, that bats to nine, is a fantastic effort to at least show the character to bring it back. To show that we're still in the game the whole time."New Zealand also got off to a good start in their innings with Tim Seifert [24] and Finn Allen [45] putting on 49 in the first five overs."The way the 'Bash brothers' go up at the top of the order is fantastic. They always get us off to a flyer. I think the way that we strung partnerships together throughout the innings was good," Phillips said.All of the Black Caps batters had a strike rate over a hundred, but it was Philips' knock of 82 off 40 balls that gave them some much needed momentum. His innings included eight fours and three sixes and he switched to bat left handed for the last ball of the innings and still managed to find the boundary.Black Caps wicketkeeper Tim Seifert© Photosport Ltd 2026 www.photosport.nz"I've definitely been practising a lot [batting left handed] and I thought, you know what, this is probably something worth experimenting with. Boovy [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] wasn't missing as well, so the last ball, why not give it a go."Overall Phillips is confident they can continue to push India on the rest of the tour."The way that the boys still fought, still held on in the middle, still took wickets, that's the fight that we're after. We do just have to go out there and give it our best and obviously India did better than us today."Games two of the five-match series is in Christchurch on Sunday.