Martin Guptill feels the Black Caps were 10 runs short against India in the first T20I.
New Zealand opener Martin Guptill heaped praise on Indian off-spinner R Ashwin, saying he is a very wily bowler who doesn't bowl bad balls and is just very hard to get away from.
R Ashwin scalped the two crucial wickets of a well-set Mark Chapman (63) and dangerous Tim Seifert (2) to play a pivotal role in Team India’s 5-wicket win over New Zealand in the first T20I of the ongoing three-match T20I series on Wednesday (November 17) in Jaipur.
In the match, Guptill played a stunning knock of 70 runs off 42 balls, laced with three fours and four sixes against India in Jaipur. He was highly impressed with the way the off-spinner had perfect control over his line, length, and speed after Ashwin returned with figures of 2/23 against the Black Caps.
Guptill said at the post-match conference: “He is a very wily bowler. He has got great control of his line and length. He just doesn't bowl bad balls. I don't remember him bowling any bad balls throughout his career. His change of pace is so subtle and well-controlled he is just very hard to get away.”
Now, New Zealand has lost two back-to-back T20I games after losing the T20 World Cup 2021 final to Australia last week, but the opener isn’t worried about his team’s cricket, lamenting the hectic schedule.
He added, “We have not played bad cricket in the last two games. It is just we're just coming out on the wrong side. It's the way cricket can go. It's certainly different (scheduling). A World Cup final two days ago and then jump on a plane and here we are in India playing another one.”
Guptill shared a 109-run stand with Mark Chapman for the second wicket to take New Zealand to 164/6, but he feels the Kiwis were 10 runs short against India in the first T20I on Wednesday.
He further explained, “It was not ideal losing Daryl Mitchell in the first over, but the way Chappy (Chapman) adapted having not played a lot of cricket lately to coming in and spending some time in the middle and to put on 100 partnership with him and set up for the death phase, really help the team get to that competitive total.
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We were still 10 run shorts where we could have been, I don't think we quite nailed the end of the death phase as well as we could have, but that could happen. And I think the bowlers did extremely well to pull it back after they (India) go off to a fairly quick start, so to lose within a couple of balls to spare, we weren't far off.”
Guptill also believes that the ongoing India tour is a good opportunity for his teammates who have not played in the country.
He signed off by saying, “Yeah, it's cool, isn't it? I mean, Rachin wasn't expected to play on this tour. Jimmy was down with a bit of a stomach bug so you know, and obviously Chappie and also Todd getting the time as well.”
(With India TV Inputs)