T20 World Cup: New Zealand’s batting allrounder Glenn Phillips said his side were used to being the ‘David’ against giant sides like India all the time and that they are going to put their best foot forward for the country when the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup final takes place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
New Zealand, a nation of 5.5 million, has reached the summit clash against the hosts, who can call upon a talent pool vast enough to field multiple competitive sides. "I mean, we're never given a chance to usually even be in the semifinals, and we're always there. So we're always David. I guess that means only one team can fail, doesn't it? For us, we just go out there and enjoy it.
“We have a great time as a group of guys. We go out there, do our best for our country. Obviously, a packed crowd is fantastic. We play to entertain the people, and whether they're supporting us or whether they're supporting India, it's fantastic for cricket in general," Phillips told reporters ahead of the side’s training session on Friday.
The high-octane title clash is expected to pit New Zealand's batters against India wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, who’s been a little expensive of late. "I think obviously we've played him quite a few times in the past now, which is helpful.
“But obviously he's an incredible bowler, and we will just go out there and try and face the ball one ball at a time. Obviously, he is allowed to have a good day, but we're also allowed to have a good day, and we'll see what happens," added Phillips.
Phillips was candid about ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah's quality, especially after he produced two match-turning overs in the back end, which helped India edge England by seven runs in the semi-final in Mumbai.
"Obviously, we had a really good trip against him in the bilateral series as well. But he's a class bowler. Obviously, Bumrah is a fantastic bowler. He's got so many variations. He hits the block hole at the death incredibly well.
“Obviously, the way the England boys played him yesterday in terms of trying to take the overs to, I guess, the last two overs and give themselves as much of a chance as possible was, I guess, the tactic that they'd employed. He's human as well. He is allowed to have a bad day, as are the rest of us. So hopefully, we have a good day against him," he added.
Phillips added that capitalising on any loose deliveries from Bumrah would be crucial. "It's not necessarily going to be that, per se. As I said, a bowler is allowed to miss. If he happens to miss, we do have to put it away. But that also means that if he does bowl well, we do have to, I guess, accommodate for other things and adapt on the fly."
The previous night's semifinal between India and England -- a high-octane run fest -- prompted discussion about batter-friendly surfaces. Phillips stated New Zealand were prepared for any conditions the pitch might offer on Sunday evening.
"Look, obviously that was a fantastic game. It was great to watch last night, great for cricket in general. Obviously, there are things going around about pitches being too batter-friendly and things like that. But obviously, I think it's an entertaining brand of cricket, and the pitches at different stadiums play each time differently.
"So whatever we see, we'll try and adapt to (ahead of the final on Sunday). If that means lots of runs, then that means lots of runs. But if it means that it's going to be a little bit of a scrap, we're up for that as well."
The dew is also expected to be a factor, though some chemical spraying is expected to happen on the ground so that it doesn’t make the game lop-sided. New Zealand gained some insight into the dew factor in Kolkata during the nine-wicket semi-final over South Africa, where they successfully chased down 170, thanks to Finn Allen’s record 33-ball century.
"I think coming from Kolkata was a great opportunity to understand that dew factor. We were obviously lucky enough to win the toss and bat and chase down 170 in a very limited number of overs, which is fantastic. So, especially the boys up top, they're used to playing with high strike rates. Obviously, all the Indian boys do the same.
“Obviously, the dew factor is always a thing here in India this time of year. Whether the chemicals work or dew is going to be a factor; if we do end up having to bat first and bowl second, then we're going to have to adapt as much as possible to that situation. I guess, go out there, try to execute our skills as much as possible, whether we've got a wet ball or a dry ball. There's no real excuse," added Phillips.
Phillips said New Zealand's journey to the final, despite one stumble against England in the Super Eights, had been built on collective effort, citing the match-winning contributions of Allen and Tim Seifert in the semifinal.
"We're pretty happy with how we've gone about things. Obviously, we had a little bit of a hiccup against England there, and we were in a strong position. But the way the boys came out against South Africa, I guess it comes down to one game at a time.
"In knockout competitions, it does seem to turn up for whoever's there on the day. Obviously, the way Finn batted the other day was fantastic. Along with Seifert, the boys bowled incredibly well. So it's a one-off game again, which is fantastic, and hopefully, we can go and adapt to the best we can."
When it comes to going toe-to-toe with a cricketing superpower on home soil in front of a 130,000-strong crowd, Phillips said the gulf in resources had never stopped New Zealand before and would not stop them now in their quest to win their first-ever Men’s T20 World Cup. "I think cricket is cricket at the end of the day. Everybody's trying to get to the same position and, I guess, trying to perform as best they can for their country or whichever team they're playing against.
"In knockout competitions, it does seem to turn up for whoever's there on the day. Obviously, the way Finn batted the other day was fantastic. Along with Seifert, the boys bowled incredibly well. So it's a one-off game again, which is fantastic, and hopefully, we can go and adapt to the best we can."
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“They could probably pick three sides that would compete just as evenly in this World Cup. So, for us to go out and compete with teams around the world with such a small population is fantastic. But I think we've put it down to a lot of our team culture, our preparation, and trying to do the little things well," he concluded.