Hamilton, Nov 1 (IANS) Glenn Phillips opened up on his mantra behind a record-breaking T20I series against India as he ended the five-match contest with a hundred and three half-centuries despite India winning the assignment 3-2.
The New Zealand all-rounder smashed a record 341 runs in the series, which is now the most by any batter in a single bilateral T20I series, going past the 331 that Phil Salt had made against West Indies in a five-match assignment in 2023.
He hit an unbeaten 65 and played partnered Tim Seifert, who made 93, as the Kiwis chased down 192 with seven wickets in hand and 12 balls to spare.
Speaking after being adjudged the Player of the Series, the Kiwi star reflected on his performances, highlighting that his focus was to be a hunter and not prey. "Yeah, as you say, the calm and the composure. It's a nice feeling. I guess when you go out there with a clear mind and just trying to play each ball on its merits. And I guess, as you say, go out there and try and be a bit more of the hunter and a little less of the prey," Phillips said during the presentation after New Zealand beat India by seven wickets in the fifth clash.
Phillips meted out a tough treatment to India's frontline spinner Varun Chakravarthy, slamming him for 27 runs in the 12 balls he faced off him. He noted that India had done well against the Kiwi spinners in the first innings and had a plan to go behind Chakravarthy.
"I think probably today, understanding that spin was going to be the type of bowling that needed to be taken down. Obviously, we saw the Indian boys do it to us, and they did it very effectively. And I think obviously when Chakravarthy came back on, it was probably a make-or-break over.
"We were either going to get ahead of the game, or he was going to take a bunch of wickets. And it was probably worth that risk and worth that match-up. And you know, the way Seifert batted at the top and all the way through today was fantastic with that momentum," he added.
With the T20I series now done, he has put his focus on the five-match ODI series, which gets underway on November 4. "Yeah, I think it's a lot of confidence for the boys (heading into ODIs). And I guess, in a slightly longer format of the game, you can play the ebbs and flows of the game a bit more.
"And I guess it does take a little bit more brain power over a longer period of time. So trying to, I guess, stay in that moment, one ball at a time and just understand that there's a lot longer to play. (Hamstring okay?) Yeah, it held up quite nicely," Phillips said.
--IANS
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