India fell short in bowling, admits Shreyas Iyer after 87-run defeat against New Zealand

New Delhi, Oct 30 : India captain Shreyas Iyer on Friday admitted that his team's bowling performance fell short in the fourth T20 International against New Zealand in Auckland, as the hosts registered a commanding 87-run victory, exposing areas that need improvement ahead of the final match of the series.

New Zealand, who had already conceded the series after losing the first three matches, bounced back strongly with an explosive batting performance to post 259 for seven. Glenn Phillips spearheaded the assault with a blistering 107 off just 49 balls, while Michael Bracewell contributed a rapid 65 off 25 deliveries.

Phillips took Nitish Kumar Reddy apart in the 16th over, smashing four consecutive sixes to collect 32 runs. The combined assault from Phillips and Bracewell accounted for 16 of New Zealand's 20 sixes, leaving the Indian bowling attack struggling to contain the scoring.

Reflecting on the defeat, Iyer said India lost control during the powerplay, allowing the New Zealand batters to take charge of the innings. He stressed the need for the team to analyse its mistakes and come back stronger in the final match.

"We fell short in our bowling. The powerplay, especially in the third over, they got the momentum thereon. Exceptional shots from Glenn, some phenomenal shots, pure bliss. Important to retrospect, we have to see how to bounce back. I feel we can go back to the drawing board and execute," Iyer said during the post-match presentation ceremony.

The Indian skipper also highlighted the unusual dimensions of Eden Park, one of the smaller grounds in international T20 cricket, and the challenge it presented to players experiencing the venue for the first time.

"We knew the dimensions were going to be like this. First time for some of them. Not easy to adapt. The way they executed in the first three games was magnificent. Great learning curve," he said.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner praised his bowlers for making early breakthroughs during India's chase and putting the visitors under pressure in the powerplay.

"With the wind, it didn't dew up. You have to bowl well against these guys and we did. We saw a couple fly through at the start. The guys bashed through and we managed to take wickets in the powerplay. There is a little on the wicket, which is what we want. On a wicket that bounces, it is quite good," Santner said.

He also praised Bracewell's aggressive batting, which helped New Zealand push their total close to 260.

Phillips, who registered his third T20I century, described the Eden Park surface as an excellent batting wicket and expressed satisfaction at contributing to the team's victory.

"It was fabulous. A really good pitch to bat on. We made the most of it. Nice to get a few runs and contribute (to the winning cause). You make the purple patch last," he said, referring to his consistent performances in the ongoing series.

New Zealand's victory provided a strong response after India had secured the series by winning the first three encounters.