‘The Time Is Now’ at Eden Park: How Glenn Phillips turned John Cena’s moment into a Team India nightmare – WATCH

Glenn Phillips attacked the Indian bowlers and smashed a breathtaking 107 off just 49 balls. (Image credit: Agencies) NEW DELHI: With the John Cena theme song playing in the background, Glenn Phillips walked out into the middle and then unleashed a stunning onslaught on the Indian bowlers. Eden Park witnessed a spectacle as the New Zealand batter arrived at the crease during the fourth T20I in Auckland on Friday.Phillips walked out to bat after Daryl Mitchell was dismissed on the fifth ball of the third over, bowled by Mayank Yadav. First, he traded punches with leadoff batter Finn Allen. As he made his way towards the crease, the DJ played The Time Is Now, John Cena’s famous entrance theme.What followed was absolute chaos.Phillips attacked the Indian bowlers and smashed a breathtaking 107 off just 49 balls. His innings included six fours and 10 sixes as New Zealand posted a massive 259/7.

Phillips and Bracewell dismantled India

Phillips found an equally destructive partner in Michael Bracewell, who scored 65 off just 25 balls. The two batters added 115 runs with only 41 deliveries remaining, taking New Zealand past the 200-run mark in the 16th over.Phillips brought up his third T20I century, reaching the landmark in just 46 balls. His power-play left the Indian bowlers scrambling for a reply.New Zealand finished with 259/7, their highest T20I total against India. They then played a challenge for the visitors and restricted India to 172/9 to secure an 87-run win.India had already taken an elusive 3-0 lead in the five-match series, but Phillips’ innings helped New Zealand pull one back.

IPL lessons help Phillips find consistency

Phillips credited his time in the Indian Premier League with helping him improve his game. He is the leading run-scorer in the ongoing series, with 276 runs from four matches at an average of 92. His record includes one century and two half-centuries.The 29-year-old did not have a memorable season with Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026. He played only six matches and scored 67 runs, with 25 being his highest score.However, Phillips said the experience gave him valuable lessons and opportunities to work on his bat.“The IPL is a bit of a beast in itself and the balance of teams being one of eight overseas (players) with only four places (in the XI) makes it quite difficult. So if you don’t go out there and set the world on fire, there’s always another guy waiting in line,” Phillips said at the post-match press conference.He was happy with the facilities and coaching support he got at Gujarat Titans.“I was very fortunate in Gujarat to have incredible facilities, great coaches and a lot of time to work (on his bat). I also showed in England that I can have the volume (of runs) under my belt – whether it’s the red ball or the white ball.“Yes, you’d love to score runs in the IPL and you know you’re going to make a lot of money and that would be fantastic, but there’s also a lot of learning that you can take from this place (in the IPL), whether you’re playing or not, and I think it’s also up to every individual who’s in the IPL or any tournament to make the most of where they go,” he added.Phillips also had a productive Crowe-Thorpe Trophy earlier this year, scoring 181 runs in four innings at an average of 60, including a century. New Zealand won this series 2–1 against England.