Rajkot, Jan 14 (NationPress) India’s captain Shubman Gill acknowledged that his team struggled to take wickets during the middle overs which contributed to their seven-wicket loss against New Zealand in the second ODI at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday. He emphasized that the situation becomes exceedingly challenging if wickets are not taken during this crucial phase of the match.

"We failed to secure any wickets in the middle overs. With five fielders in play, if you don’t consistently take wickets during this period, it becomes very tough, even if we had managed to score an additional 15-20 runs. It’s hard to contain the target without taking wickets in the middle overs," Gill noted during the post-match presentation.

India’s total of 284/7 was largely supported by KL Rahul’s impressive 112 not out off 92 balls, marking his eighth century in ODIs. However, New Zealand successfully chased the target, led by Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 131.

Mitchell also formed a significant partnership of 162 runs from 152 balls with Will Young, who contributed 87 runs. "On such wickets, when a partnership forms, the established batsman needs to capitalize and score big, as it’s challenging for new batsmen to score freely," Gill added.

Reflecting on the match, he mentioned, "Ultimately, we set a decent target and bowled exceptionally well in the initial 10 overs. We aimed to apply pressure from the start, but New Zealand batted excellently in the middle overs."

He pointed out that the batting conditions improved as the match went on. "During the first 10-15 overs, the ball had some movement. However, after 20-25 overs, the wicket appeared to settle. I believe we could have been braver in our bowling during the middle overs and taken more risks."

Gill also indicated that fielding mistakes undermined India’s chances. "Even in the previous match, we missed a couple of opportunities. Improving our fielding is vital for this team, and in this format, failing to seize your chances can lead to a loss," he concluded.

New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell commended his team for delivering a well-rounded performance to level the series. "It was a complete performance, and I take pride in the team. We felt confident at the halfway point. Our bowling was efficient—just a classic Kiwi display with the ball," he said.

When asked about Mitchell’s strategy against an off-color Kuldeep Yadav, Bracewell replied, "The batsmen adapted well to the conditions. We pride ourselves on flexibility and attacking play. Jayden Lennox bowled exceptionally on his debut, which is never easy in India, and he handled the challenging overs well."