Series sealed 3-1, India eye winning finish in Hamilton T20I finale today
New Zealand's 87-run thrashing in Auckland denied India a whitewash — now the Men in Blue want to close out the series on a high in Hamilton.
India had the series wrapped up before Auckland, but the fourth T20I was a reality check: Glenn Phillips smashed a century to lift New Zealand to 259/7, and the hosts then bowled India out cheaply to win by 87 runs. It was a reminder that even a sealed series can bite when intensity drops.
The Hamilton finale gives India a chance to reassert control. Former players have urged the team management to bring in an extra spinner — Varun Chakaravarthy or Kuldeep Yadav — after the pace attack bled runs on a flat Auckland surface. Shreyas Iyer's side will also want its batters to answer Phillips' statement innings.
For New Zealand, back-to-back wins would turn a lost series into a moral victory and momentum for the home summer. A 4-1 scoreline, though, would underline the gulf India has opened in the shortest format.
