Chasing a challenging 174, New Zealand were under early pressure, losing Finn Allen and Tim Seifert in quick succession for just 30 runs. But Phillips and Ravindra steadied the ship with a blistering partnership that put Canada on the back foot.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI mean, we did get on a bit of a run at the end there, which was fantastic. But honestly, Rach (Rachin) and I were just trying to stick to our processes and take it one ball at a time. They picked up a couple of early wickets, which put us on the back foot slightly. From there, it was about staying calm and building a partnership. Thankfully, it ended up the way it did,\u201d Phillips said after receiving the Player of the Match award.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The duo\u2019s attacking intent was evident from the outset. Phillips explained the approach behind his aggressive strokeplay, saying, \u201cSome days, you just get balls in your zone more often than others, and today was one of those days. For both of us, it was about making good decisions every single ball. That\u2019s all that really mattered. As the partnership developed, the momentum just grew naturally.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Ravindra, who scored a vital 55 off 38 balls, was lauded by Phillips for his contribution. \u201cHe was fantastic. He works incredibly hard on his game, and his T20 cricket has come a long way over the last couple of years. To see him get rewarded for that hard work is brilliant. Having someone like that at the other end makes a big difference,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The match started with a tense atmosphere in the dugout after Canada struck twice early, but New Zealand\u2019s pair remained composed. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThere was probably a bit of nervous energy early on. We have been in that position a couple of times in the recent past here and the Afghanistan match as well. But we backed our depth and trusted that if we built one solid partnership, we\u2019d be back in the game \u2013 and that\u2019s exactly what happened,\u201d Phillips mentioned.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The match started with a tense atmosphere in the dugout after Canada struck twice early, but New Zealand\u2019s pair remained composed. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
Phillips admired the youngster\u2019s effort, stating, \u201cFabulous! He's a really clean striker of the ball. Got a long future ahead of him.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n