New Zealand posted 260 and beat India by 87 runs in the fourth T20I at Eden Park, a result India captain Shreyas Iyer called a “great learning curve.” Iyer said some of his players were experiencing grounds like Eden Park for the first time and would be better prepared on their next visit.
“Conversation was just that we knew that the dimensions are going to be like this, and some of them, it’s their first time playing on such grounds,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation. He added that adaptation takes time but praised his side’s execution in the first three games.
Eden Park’s unusual dimensions shaped the match. The straight boundaries were about 63 metres on the night, with square boundaries at 63 and 66 metres, while a strong southwesterly blew across the ground as temperatures dropped to around 12 degrees Celsius. Glenn Phillips said he could not remember the wind being that strong at Eden Park and described the bounce as “probably second to maybe Perth.”
Phillips, who shared a 115-run stand off 40 balls with Michael Bracewell, said the pair used the wind to their advantage. He praised Bracewell’s hitting and said taking momentum during a knife-edge phase helped New Zealand pull away from India. Phillips made 107 off 49 balls.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner credited his bowlers for adapting to a pitch with more assistance than earlier in the series. “Obviously 260 is a good score, but you have to bowl well against these guys, and I think we did,” Santner said. He highlighted the bowlers’ lengths and lines and said the wicket offered a little more for most of the game.
India spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule said the ground’s unusual shape and the evening conditions made life difficult. He said India were clear about their plans but lost too many wickets in the Powerplay, the first six overs, while chasing. Bahutule added that India could have conceded 20-30 fewer runs and hoped the team would regroup for Hamilton.
Iyer pointed to the third over of New Zealand’s innings, when Daryl Mitchell hit Mayank Yadav for 20 off four balls, as the moment the game began to slip. He singled out Phillips for an exceptional knock. “Some phenomenal shots, which were like pure bliss,” Iyer said. “He’s been consistent throughout the series, so [a] lot to learn from him.”
Phillips said the total gave New Zealand belief that it could post such scores, though he acknowledged no total felt safe against India. “Obviously you need a ton of runs to even have a sniff of beating India,” he said. “I don’t think you’ve ever got enough to feel comfortable with this side.”
Original Source: https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/140720/iyer-says-india-still-adapting-to-nz-grounds-after-eden-park-drubbing-cricbuzzcom
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Publish Date: 2026-10-31 03:15:00
