India were outclassed by New Zealand in the Auckland T20I.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan broke down the tactical blunders that cost India the fourth T20I against New Zealand in Auckland, highlighting how the bowlers failed to adjust their lengths according to the small ground dimensions.
Invited to bat first, the Kiwis rode on Glenn Phillips' sensational 107 off 49 balls to rack up 259/7 on the board -- the highest-ever T20I total conceded by India.
In reply, the visitors suffered a catastrophic top-order collapse and were eventually restricted to 172/9 in 20 overs, losing the match by a huge margin of 87 runs.
Analysing the penultimate T20I on his YouTube channel, Pathan targeted the bowling unit's lack of situational awareness and failure to adapt.
He observed that Indian bowlers continuously fed the hosts with full-length deliveries. Eden Park is notorious for its short straight boundaries, and fuller lengths allowed the Black Caps batters to easily loft the ball down the ground into the stands.
"The Indian bowlers were bowling fuller lengths, which did not suit the conditions on this pitch, and they were punished for it. The straight boundary is very short. The Indian bowlers failed to adjust their lengths according to the ground dimensions. When they tried to bowl short, the New Zealand batters, who are very familiar with playing at this venue, were ready for it. So, they started with lengths that were too full and couldn't recover thereafter," Pathan said.
Irfan also commended the New Zealand batters for utilizing the short boundaries to their advantage and piling up a total that left India under immense pressure.
"Overall, New Zealand's ability to make the most of the ground dimensions, backed by their familiarity with playing at this venue in their home conditions, gave them an edge over the Indian team. Apart from that, the New Zealand batters had a very clear mindset. Even after losing wickets, they continued to play big shots and refused to slow down. They knew that even if they gave India a target of 200 runs, the Indian team could chase it down. Their aggressive approach was also quite impressive," he added.
Despite the defeat, the Shreyas Iyer-led side maintains an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series. The series finale will take place on Sunday (November 1) at Seddon Park, Hamilton.