New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner conceded on 4 November 2026 that his side did not adjust quickly enough to the pace and bounce at Eden Park, Auckland, after the hosts were bowled out for 185 in the first ODI against India. The defeat handed India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, with Santner acknowledging the visitors read the conditions better.

India's pace attack dismantles New Zealand batting

Arshdeep Singh was the standout performer with four wickets, while Gurnoor Brar claimed three and Anshul Kamboj returned figures of 2-22 to collectively restrict New Zealand to a below-par total. The hosts' batters found the extra bounce difficult to negotiate, with India's disciplined pace bowling repeatedly exploiting the surface.

Santner was candid about his side's inability to recalibrate under pressure. “Yeah, I think the pitch probably bounced and, you know, it was probably a little bit faster than we kind of expected at Eden Park. I think we probably didn't adapt as quickly as we could. And with some good bowling from India as well,” he said after the game.

How India used the conditions differently

The New Zealand skipper pointed to the contrast in approach between the two sides when facing the short ball. He noted that India's batters, particularly Shreyas Iyer, were more adept at working the bounce fine rather than fighting it, and that rain interruptions during the chase further eased conditions for the visitors.

“When you try to fight the bounce at Eden Park, it can be quite hard. I think the way they kind of used it a little bit more, and Shreyas was trying to go more fine with the shorter balls. And yeah, obviously bounced a lot, and after the rain it kind of skidded on nicely. So yeah, a few short balls out there,” Santner added.

Kohli's 74 seals India's chase despite late New Zealand fightback

Virat Kohli's 74 off 51 balls gave India firm control of the chase from the outset, putting the target of 185 well within reach. New Zealand did find some resistance through their pace unit, reducing India to 143/5 at one stage, with Jacob Duffy taking three wickets. Santner credited his fast bowlers for refusing to capitulate after India's strong start.

“Yeah, very happy. It was easy for us to kind of roll over there after the start they got. So, credit to the fast bowlers to keep backing it up. So yeah, I think we found some good stuff at the end of the game there, and we can kind of go on to Wellington,” he said.

What New Zealand must fix ahead of Wellington

This is the opening match of a five-ODI series, leaving New Zealand considerable room to recover, but the batting fragility on home soil — bowled out for under 200 — raises immediate questions. Notably, Eden Park's pace-friendly surface has historically posed challenges for home batters when opposition seamers are on song. Santner suggested the lessons learnt from this surface will travel with the squad to Wellington, where conditions are expected to be different.

India will aim to extend their winning momentum in the second ODI in Wellington, while New Zealand must address their batting approach against high-quality pace if they are to level the series.