Mystery spinners seldom give away their secrets, but Glenn Phillips is fast emerging as one of the rare batters who appears to have decoded at least part of the puzzle.
In the first T20I against India on Wednesday, the New Zealand all-rounder stood out not only for his explosive strokeplay but also for the clarity with which he handled Varun Chakravarthy, a bowler many struggle even to read.
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Chasing a daunting 238, Phillips produced a stunning 78 off just 32 balls in a losing cause. A fascinating subplot of his innings was his duel with Varun, whom he attacked with confidence and precision. Phillips said the key to facing the mystery spinner lay in balance, head position, and extracting maximum information at the point of release.
“He is very difficult to pick. He bowls a really good length at high pace,” Phillips said. “For me, it’s about getting into strong positions, keeping my head in the right place, and giving myself the best chance to read as much information from his hand as possible.”
Phillips stressed that there is no universal method to counter Varun, whose threat increases with the amount of assistance offered by the surface.
“Everyone plays him differently. On pitches that turn more, he becomes much harder to face. On wickets like today, where there isn’t much turn, it can be slightly easier at times—but he can still be incredibly tough to play,” he explained. “Everyone has to find their own way to combat him.”
Facing Varun for nine deliveries, Phillips scored 19 runs, including two towering sixes, and played just a single dot ball—a rare feat against a bowler who thrives on hesitation and misjudgement.
Phillips was also asked whether New Zealand might have benefited from using extra pace, such as Lockie Ferguson or Matt Henry, against Abhishek Sharma, who provided India with a blistering start.
“That’s a tough one,” Phillips said. “He’s done this to the best fast bowlers in the IPL. When a batter is in that kind of form, all you can do is bowl to the best areas and hope they make a mistake.”
Speaking from a bowler’s perspective, Phillips admitted that control is often limited once the ball is released.
“As a bowler, once you let go of the ball, there’s not much more you can do. He hits all around the ground, so sometimes you need a bit of luck.”
Despite describing his knock as “a little gem of an innings,” Phillips conceded that New Zealand were always climbing a steep hill once India posted such a massive total.
“When you’re chasing 240, everything has to go your way. The start Abhishek gave them put us under pressure straight away. I think we batted well until around the 13th over, then we decided to target Axar, but I lost my wicket,” he said.
Looking ahead, Phillips felt the opening match would help New Zealand better understand Indian conditions, especially with contrasting surfaces coming up in the series.
“This pitch was flat and fast. In Chennai, there’s more assistance for spin and possibly the dew factor as well. It’s about understanding how different conditions will play,” he said, noting the stark contrast expected at Chepauk compared to the Jamtha track.
(By PTI Inputs)
