India captain Shreyas Iyer has admitted that his team is still adapting to the various ground dimensions in New Zealand. His comments came after the Men in Blue went down to the hosts in the fourth T20I of the five-match series in Auckland on Friday. He added that the latest defeat will serve as a learning experience for his bowlers, who are unfamiliar with the unique dimensions.
After winning the first three, the visitors conceded the fourth game by 87 runs. Glenn Phillips starred with the bat for New Zealand, hitting 107 off 49 deliveries and helping his team to 259/7 in 20 overs. India fell well short of the target after being restricted to 172/9.
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Iyer said that the experience of playing in a ground like Eden Park – with the smallest straight boundaries in the world -- will help his team understand the challenges posed by such venues and come up with the solution next time around.
Deep Dive
Why did Shreyas Iyer say India were still adapting to Eden Park’s dimensions?
How did Eden Park’s ground dimensions affect India’s bowling against New Zealand?
What did Shreyas Iyer say India needed to learn from the Auckland defeat?
“The conversation was just that, we knew the dimensions were going to be like this, and for some of them, it was their first time playing at such grounds. So it takes them a bit of time to adapt to the challenge,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation.
{{/usCountry}}“The conversation was just that, we knew the dimensions were going to be like this, and for some of them, it was their first time playing at such grounds. So it takes them a bit of time to adapt to the challenge,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation.
{{/usCountry}}“It's not that easy, I understand that, but the way they executed the first three games, it was magnificent, and yeah, this is just a learning curve, I feel, that next time when they come here, they would probably have a better idea of how to go about their business. So, a great learning curve, and hopefully we come back positive in the next game,” he added.
Mayank Yadav was the pick of the Indian bowlers with three wickets but he conceded 12 runs per over, finishing with figures of 3/48. Only Arshdeep Singh somewhat managed to curb the run flow, giving away 38 runs in his quota of four overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Naman Dhir were taken to the cleaners as the three gave away 123 runs in eight overs.
Iyer identified the third over of New Zealand's innings as the moment where the momentum changed, with Daryl Mitchell taking 20 runs off the first four deliveries bowled by Mayank.
“We fell a bit short in our bowling to start with. Powerplay, especially in the third over, they got that momentum from there on. A couple of bowlers tried to squeeze in, but it was an exceptional knock by Glenn. Some phenomenal shots, which were like pure bliss. So kudos to him. He's been consistent throughout the series, so a lot to learn from him,” said Iyer.
The Indian captain concluded by saying that his team needs to figure out how to go about their business in the fifth and final T20I, which will be played in Hamilton on Sunday. “I feel that it's important to introspect, see where we can actually bounce back, going to Hamilton with just a day off. So I personally feel that we can probably go back to the drawing board and see to it that we analyse and try to execute to the best of our abilities in the next game,” Iyer said.