Vijay Shankar relished batting at the top of the order in India's 4-run loss at Hamilton as he played a fine knock of 43 from 28 balls. And even though his advancement in the line-up was unexpected, the 28-year-old is banking on this invaluable experience for the future. 

"It was a big surprise for me when they asked me to bat at three," said Shankar at the post-match press conference, "That is a big thing. I was focussed on playing the situation. You need to be open anyway if you are playing for a team like India. These (Australia and New Zealand) two series I have learnt a lot."

"I might not have bowled a lot but I learnt to bowl in different conditions. In batting, just watching seniors like Virat (Kohli), Rohit (Sharma) and (MS) Dhoni, how they go about their job, I learnt a lot. Even the last game was a learning experience for me. I could have gone for single or a two than go for another boundary."

The back-up all-rounder featured in five ODIs and three T20Is across the limited overs Trans-Tasman tour and he'll be hoping for more opportunities from the selectors as well as the current team management before this year's ICC Cricket World Cup. 

"I also had a very good opportunity to win this game for the team," Shankar added, "If I can win matches for the team, that will automatically help me personally. For me, the most important thing is that I adapt quickly to different conditions and be consistent."

"We played well right through the 20 overs. Everyone was very positive when we were trying to get closer to the total. Eventually, we were just one hit away. The result could have been different on another day."

(Inputs from PTI)