New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner reiterated that facing India in their own backyard is ideal preparation for the World Cup, irrespective of the results. The spin-bowling all-rounder admitted that his team has been heavily tested by the Indian players during the first four T20Is in the five-match series.
On Wednesday, January 28, New Zealand finally got off the mark in the T20I series. At the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, the Kiwis won the fourth T20I by 50 runs to bring the series scoreline
to 1-3.
"I said at the start of the series that there’s no better preparation for a World Cup than playing India in India, regardless of results. We’ve been tested heavily—both earlier in the series and again tonight," Santner said during the post-match press conference.
Santner believes that if New Zealand are to face India at some point during next month's T20 World Cup, the learnings from the ongoing series will come in handy.
"It’s about learning, putting players into specific roles, and seeing how they respond under pressure. If we face India again in a World Cup, which is very possible, those experiences are invaluable," Santner said.
After losing the first three matches without putting up too much resistance, the pressure was at an all-time high on the Black Caps. However, Santner believes that being placed in such scenarios helps a team to grow.
"Pressure situations are challenging, but they’re also where you grow. It doesn’t get much harder than this," Santner said.
In the fourth T20I, New Zealand lost the toss and were invited to bat first. They amassed 215/7 as Tim Seifert top-scored with a 36-ball 62. Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell also chipped in with handy contributions to help the tourists put up a daunting score.
In reply, India lost two wickets in the first two overs and never really recovered. Shivam Dube did put up a valiant fight at the back end of the innings with a 23-ball 65, but it only reduced the margin of defeat for the hosts.
