Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has backed criticism of Glenn Phillips’ attempted diving catch during the third T20I between India and New Zealand in Wellington. The New Zealand fielder’s acrobatic effort to stop an aerial shot from Abhishek Sharma attracted criticism from commentator Simon Doull, with Harbhajan later sharing a social media post questioning the need for such an attempt. The incident occurred during the 9.5th over at the Henry Stadium, as India chased New Zealand’s target of 199 runs.

Facing Kyle Jamieson, Abhishek Sharma struck the ball in the air towards the mid-wicket region. Phillips sprinted across the field and launched himself to his left in an attempt to intercept the shot, but the ball sailed beyond his reach and raced to the boundary. Although Glenn Phillips is widely recognised for his athleticism and exceptional fielding skills, Doull felt the effort was unnecessary given the ball’s trajectory and the fielder’s position on the ground.

“You don’t need to do it. He’s so far in from the boundary, he could have run around the boundary edge. And it’s only at head height when he touches his hand. It’s only, he didn’t need to do that,” Simon Doull said during the broadcast.

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Harbhajan Singh subsequently reposted a post on X that echoed the commentator’s assessment. The post criticised Phillips for what it described as an unnecessarily dramatic attempt to save the boundary. “Glenn phillips is very performative fielder, there was literally no need to do that even commentators thought it was unnecessary,” the post read.

While the discussion surrounding Phillips’ fielding effort attracted attention, India’s dominant performance with the bat proved to be the biggest talking point of the match. Abhishek Sharma continued his outstanding run of form, smashing 113 runs off just 38 deliveries to put the New Zealand bowling attack under immense pressure.

Young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provided excellent support, scoring a blistering 45 off 19 balls. The opening pair stitched together a remarkable 133-run partnership in just 43 balls, effectively taking the game away from the hosts. India eventually reached 199/4 in only 13.2 overs, securing a six-wicket victory with 40 balls remaining. The result strengthened India’s dominance in the five-match T20I series.

The successful chase also ranked among the quickest pursuits of a target of 190 or more in T20I cricket, with only Estonia’s chase of 192 against Cyprus in Episkopi in 2024 finishing with more balls remaining, at 42. India also surpassed their previous record for a successful chase against a full-member nation, set against New Zealand in Raipur earlier in 2026, when they chased 209 with 28 balls to spare.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner admitted that containing India’s aggressive batters had proved difficult once they found their rhythm. He also believed his team had been on course to post a competitive total before India’s bowlers controlled the closing overs. “Pretty tough to stop those guys when they’re going. We have seen it before, we have seen it in the IPL. Obviously, witnessed it here in New Zealand tonight,” Santner said.

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The New Zealand skipper highlighted the partnership between Daryl Mitchell and Bevon Jacobs as a key contributor to the hosts’ innings, suggesting that a total of around 200 had been within reach. “I think the way that Daryl and BJ kind of got that partnership together, we tracked for 200 there, and obviously 200 is nice. It’s a good score on a pitch like that,” he added. Santner also credited India’s bowlers for executing their plans effectively at the death, particularly their yorkers, while acknowledging that dew made conditions challenging as the match progressed.