Milne's Four-for and Seifert's 93 Power New Zealand to Consolation Win Over India

New Zealand signed off the T20I series against India with a convincing seven-wicket victory in the fifth and final match at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday. Fast bowler Adam Milne produced a fiery spell of 4/19 to restrict India to 191/8, before Tim Seifert's blistering 93 and an unbeaten 65 from Glenn Phillips guided the hosts home with two overs to spare.

India, led by Shreyas Iyer, still won the five-match series 3-2 after taking the first three games. However, New Zealand finished strongly with back-to-back wins, following up their 87-run victory in Auckland with another commanding performance in Hamilton. Phillips also made history, setting a new record for the most runs by any batter in a bilateral T20I series.

Milne Strikes Early After New Zealand Choose to Bowl

New Zealand won the toss and opted to bowl first, and the decision paid off almost immediately. India's explosive top order, which had dominated the earlier games, could not get going this time. Abhishek Sharma fell for just 1, and Sanju Samson followed soon after for 4, leaving India at 19/2 inside the powerplay.

Milne set the tone with his pace and accuracy. The right-arm quick hit the deck hard and gave the Indian batters very little room to free their arms. His early burst ensured India could not build the kind of fast start that had helped them win the series.

Kishan and Iyer Rebuild With a Rapid Stand

With India in early trouble, Ishan Kishan and captain Shreyas Iyer took charge of the innings. Rather than playing safe, the pair counterattacked, taking on the bowlers and pushing the run rate back up. They put on 93 runs for the third wicket, a partnership that rescued India and laid the platform for a strong total.

Kishan top-scored with 61 from just 32 balls, hitting five fours and five sixes. Iyer was even quicker, racing to 50 from only 23 deliveries. At that stage, India looked set to post a score well past 200.

However, both batters fell in quick succession, and India lost momentum in the second half of the innings. The New Zealand bowlers took control of the middle and death overs, preventing the late surge that India needed.

The lower order struggled to find the boundary consistently, and New Zealand's bowlers kept taking wickets at regular intervals. That steady pressure meant India could only add a modest number of runs in the final overs after the big partnership was broken.

New Zealand Bowlers Hold India to 191

Milne returned to finish his spell in impressive fashion, ending with figures of 4/19. In a high-scoring series, it was an outstanding effort from the fast bowler and the key reason India were kept under 200.

He received good support from Nathan Smith, who claimed 2/28, and Blair Tickner, who also picked up two wickets. India finished on 191/8 from their 20 overs, which was a competitive total but below what had seemed possible during the Kishan-Iyer stand.

Seifert Leads a Confident Chase

Chasing 192, New Zealand made a nervous start when opener Finn Allen fell in the second over. But Seifert quickly settled the nerves with a brilliant attacking innings.

The 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter found the boundary regularly, hitting 11 fours and five sixes as he punished anything loose from the Indian bowlers. He scored 93 from just 50 balls and took the game away from India with his strokeplay through the powerplay and middle overs.

A maiden T20I century looked within reach, but Seifert's innings came to an unlucky end. Facing Nitish Kumar Reddy, he got a thick inside edge that crashed into his leg stump, leaving him seven runs short of the milestone. By then, however, New Zealand were firmly in control of the chase.

It was one of the finest T20I knocks of Seifert's career and a reminder of his value at the top of the order. His aggressive approach meant New Zealand were always ahead of the required rate, which took pressure off the batters who followed.

Phillips Finishes the Job and Breaks a Record

Glenn Phillips once again played a key role, anchoring the second half of the chase and making sure there were no late hiccups. He finished unbeaten on 65 from 38 balls as New Zealand reached 195/3 in 18 overs to win by seven wickets.

The innings capped an extraordinary series for Phillips. He finished with 341 runs across the five matches, with scores of 82*, 70, 17, 107 and 65*. That tally is the highest by any batter in a bilateral T20I series, beating the previous record of 331 set by England's Phil Salt against West Indies in 2023.

Phillips also became the first New Zealand batter to pass 300 runs in a bilateral T20I series, and the first from his country to record four fifty-plus scores in a single series against India. He was named Player of the Series for his efforts, while Milne earned the Player of the Match award for his four-wicket haul.

Most Runs in a Bilateral T20I Series

• Glenn Phillips (New Zealand) vs India, 2026 – 341 runs
• Phil Salt (England) vs West Indies, 2023 – 331 runs
• Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) vs England, 2022 – 316 runs
• Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) vs Cyprus, 2024 – 297 runs
• Mark Chapman (New Zealand) vs Pakistan, 2023 – 290 runs

Phillips on Handling India's Spinners

Speaking after the match, Phillips explained that staying calm and composed had been central to his success. He said his approach was to judge each delivery on its merits and to play like the hunter rather than the prey.

Phillips also acknowledged the challenge posed by India's spinners throughout the series. He noted that spin was the type of bowling New Zealand needed to handle best, and said India had executed their spin plans very effectively against them.

How the Series Played Out

India dominated the first half of the series, winning the opening three matches to wrap up the trophy early. Their batters were particularly destructive, with the highlight coming in the third match in Wellington, where India chased down 199 in just 13.2 overs thanks to a century from Abhishek Sharma and a record powerplay total of 118.

New Zealand, who were dealing with several injuries, including those to fast bowlers Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry, responded well in the final two games. They beat India by 87 runs at Eden Park in Auckland before completing another comfortable win in Hamilton, turning a potential whitewash into a 3-2 scoreline.

For India, the series still ends as a success. Iyer's side showed great attacking depth with the bat, and several young players gained valuable experience in New Zealand conditions. However, the two defeats at the end will give the team management some areas to review, particularly in the closing stages of the innings.

Next Up: The ODI Series

The two teams now move on to the 50-over format, with a five-match ODI series beginning at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday, November 4. New Zealand will hope to carry their late momentum into the ODIs, while Ferguson and Henry are expected to return from injury for the series.

India, meanwhile, will look to bounce back quickly after their two T20I defeats. After the ODIs, the sides will meet in a two-match Test series, which is also important for both teams in the World Test Championship standings.