Santner flags dew and 8 PM start as edge for chasing sides; Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson face precautionary injury checks
Dew and late start tilt series in favour of chasers
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner has said dew will be a major factor throughout the T20I series against India, particularly with matches now starting at 8 PM local time instead of the usual 7 PM. India, who have won both games so far to lead the series 2-0, have opted to bowl first in each match.
"There was less dew tonight than there was the first game, I think, because the wind was up a little bit," Santner said after the tight loss. "But I think it's going to be a factor throughout the series. I guess with it being so late (8 PM start), we usually start at 7 o'clock. So by the second half, the ball seems to skid on a little bit better. It's definitely a factor, I think, at the toss both teams in both games were looking to bowl first. And I guess two chases, even though tonight was a tight chase, it's still two wins for the chasing team."
Henry and Ferguson held back
New Zealand were badly hit during the chase, with Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson unable to complete their quotas. Santner said both pacers were sidelined by precautionary injuries and that management was unwilling to take risks ahead of the upcoming ODIs and Tests.
"Matt (Henry) experienced like a tight calf. So we didn't want to risk it with I guess the amount of cricket we've got coming up as well. And I think Lockie (Ferguson) he went off as well. So just a couple of precautionary injuries. We'll see how they pull up I guess tomorrow morning. I think with the quick turnaround of the series going into the one day, and into the Test as well, we don't want to, I guess, risk too much. But hopefully they pull up fine because both good bowlers."
Santner shines with the ball
Santner had a terrific outing with the ball, finishing with figures of 4/21 before Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir and Nitish Reddy engineered a turnaround to clinch the contest for India.
Praise for Tilak Varma and Naman Dhir
Santner reserved special praise for Tilak Varma, with whom he has played in the IPL for Mumbai Indians. "I guess when he (Tilak) first started, he was batting three and it's a slightly different role," Santner observed. "So I guess the middle order role is very depending on how you operate in the middle and in the death phase. And I guess I've seen it for a couple of years now at Mumbai. He's very good.
"Same with Naman Dhir. I think the way he's come in and looks so free from the start. I think Tilak took his time a little bit today, but managed the chase very well with (Nitish) Reddy at the end. So I think if you can finish off games as a finisher, you're doing a pretty good job. I think it was a great knock from those last three, especially tonight."
Nitish Reddy: one good over changed the game
India allrounder Nitish Reddy said a single good over was all it took to get the chase back on track. After Naman Dhir's dismissal, the equation came down to 69 off 31 with only four wickets in hand. Reddy got going with an early boundary, and the pair focused on using the ground dimensions to keep the scoreboard ticking.
"When I got the four, we were just talking like we have to believe that we're gonna get one strong good over and that's what you know T20 game is always about," Nitish said. "One good over and the pressure situations can change to the bowler side. We would just keep believing in it and the kind of running between wickets we had, for the good balls also we had twos and then the bad balls we punished it for boundaries. I think that's where the game really changed, we have used the dimensions and we could see the bowlers they were under pressure and you know from nowhere we got got it to somewhere."
Reflecting on his recent injury problems, Reddy described the phase as "part and parcel of the game". "I am getting to understand it's just that I'm an all-rounder I have to bat and bowl. Even in the practice as well I have my workloads, I have more than anyone to do on the field and off the field. Nobody likes to get injured but it's just something which I'm working on and I'm happy that I'm playing for the Indian team and it's about each and every day," he said.