After 15 wickets fell on the opening day and rain washed out the next four sessions, the stuttering tourists resumed today on 55-5 in Dhaka, in danger of suffering a historic test series loss to Bangladesh.
But having been repeatedly forced on the defensive by the hosts’ spinners, Phillips opted for attack.
His 72-ball blitz of 87 helped New Zealand eke ahead by eight runs before they were dismissed for 172. Ajaz Patel and Tim Southee then reduced Bangladesh to 38-2 when bad light curtailed play, an intriguing weekend set up by Phillips’ barrage.
Made to wait almost four years for another test cap following his debut, the short-form specialist has shown during this tour that his skillset now transfers well to the red-ball game.
Phillips has toiled diligently in the nets to refine his offbreak since his bow against Australia in January 2020, transforming himself into a wicket-taking option on turning tracks. But while that burgeoning quality did bring about his recall, it’s clean hitting that could have him become a fixture in the side.
His prodigious talent with the bat, long clear in particularly Twenty20 cricket, lit up another overcast day in the Bangladeshi capital, brightening a murky situation for the Black Caps.