NZ Captain Santner Urges Tighter Powerplay After India Win

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has said his side must find a way to restrict India in the powerplay after a four-wicket defeat in the first T20 International at Hagley Oval.

India chased a target of 226 runs and completed the win with two balls to spare. The game was played on Thursday in Christchurch and went down to the final overs.

The powerplay proved decisive. India were 94 for one at the end of the first six overs, with several wides from New Zealand's fast bowlers giving the batting side extra momentum. New Zealand fought back through the middle overs, but Naman Dhir's unbeaten 42 off 15 balls took the game away from the hosts. In total, New Zealand conceded 17 extras.

Reflecting on the result, Santner said the visitors had put the home side under pressure from the start. "They applied pressure from the beginning. We knew they would be aggressive, and once again they got plenty of runs in the powerplay. We didn't play our best cricket. There are things we need to sharpen up. We do understand how the ball moves here, so we believe we can slow them down. The middle overs were good for us, and the contest became very tight. Both teams have improvements to make. This match could have gone either way."

Asked where New Zealand could improve, the captain highlighted extras in the early overs and chances that went down in the field. "The extras at the start could be one factor," he said. "Our fielding was solid, but taking catches here isn't easy. We could have capitalised on a few more opportunities, and there's room to improve at the death. The powerplay is always a challenge, though. We need to find a method to slow them down. If we can keep them to around 80 instead of 100 in the powerplay, we'll be in a much better position."

The sides meet again on Saturday at the same venue for the second T20 International. Santner also had a moment of concern during the game. He landed on his head while attempting a catch in the 13th over and was off the field briefly. He has assured fans that he is fine. "It was a bit of a knock, but yes, everything is fine now," he said.

Santner was pleased with his batters, particularly Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs. Phillips struck an unbeaten 82 from 40 balls, while Jacobs made 31 from 16 deliveries. "Our top order batted really well," Santner said. "The pitch helped a little early, but they adapted well. Glenn then steadied the innings through the middle overs, which was excellent. Bevon played some terrific shots as well. That's why we felt good about our score at the halfway mark."