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IND vs NZ | Twitter hails Phillips as he keeps spirits high despite back-to-back blunders from Klarke

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ByVenkateswaran N, SportsCafe Editor

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Making a debut in front of a boisterous crowd is often intimidating, and Kristian Clarke realised that in the first T20I against India in Nagpur. The New Zealand medium-pacer looked very nervous as he fumbled twice in three deliveries to concede boundaries off Glenn Phillips’ bowling.

‌India got off to a flying start, courtesy of Abhishek Sharma’s aggressive intent in the first T20I against New Zealand in Nagpur. Despite losing partners Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, the southpaw smashed four sixes in the powerplay as the Men in Blue raced to 68/2 at the end of six overs.

Skipper Suryakumar Yadav was also settling in nicely from the other end with two fours and a six in his first nine balls. Meanwhile, the Kiwi skipper Mitchell Santner went to off-spinner Glenn Phillips with an advantageous match-up in mind.

But the left-handed opener had nothing in his mind as he stepped out to slash Phillips over cover. With Kristian Clarke running in from sweeper, it looked like a single but the debutant overran with the ball spinning away from him.

Though he stopped and reached out in the opposite direction, the Kookaburra was out of reach as it rolled onto the fence. But to his horror, the batter once again hit the ball in the same direction, a ball later, and the result repeated.

Though the medium pacer was cautious this time as he sat down to stop the ball defensively, it once again swung away at the last moment to elude him. Twitter had sympathy for the debutant but hailed Phillips’ composure as the bowler kept smiling despite him being at the receiving end, and the lofty standards he usually sets on the field.

Bad day!

Training!

It strikes

Bad day

Golu!

Look!

Me neither!

LOL

Slippery

Oh dear!

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