Gill admits India were second-best as New Zealand end 37-year wait

New Zealand were without some of their key players for the ODI series, but India too missed players like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, proven performers in white-ball cricket. However, Shubman Gill refused to use that as an excuse for the series defeat. "We were a good enough side to beat them in the series, but they outplayed us - whether in bowling, batting or fielding," the skipper said post-match in Indore on Sunday night.

New Zealand recorded their first-ever series win in eight attempts and had to wait 37 years to achieve the feat. The ODI series came just over 16 months after their Test side blanked India 3-0 in a three-Test series in 2024.

Coming into the match, the scoreline was 1-1 and Gill hoped India would do well in the middle overs, an area the team had faltered in during the series. India failed to address that concern. On Sunday, they conceded 191 runs while taking only one wicket in the middle overs - from the 11th to the 40th over. Across the series, the numbers read: 90 overs, eight wickets, at an average of 68.37 and a strike rate of 67.5 in that phase.

One of the reasons for the middle-overs bowling rut is the performance of the two spinners - Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav. Jadeja failed to claim a single wicket in the series, raising concerns about his fading bowling prowess. Kuldeep, on the other hand, managed three wickets in as many games, at an average of over 60 and a strike rate of 50.

"Sometimes, it happens. Kuldeep (Yadav), the way he has been bowling in the last couple of years: he has always been a strike bowler for us. It's unfortunate that he was not able to take as many wickets this time. These are the reasons these kinds of series help us grow," Gill said of the young spinner but defended the senior pro stating that he looked in good touch.

Jadeja has taken just one wicket in the last five ODIs, and his batting returns have not been as impressive. He has not scored an ODI half-century since 2020, having gone without a fifty in 29 innings, and at home he has not registered one since 2013 - 42 innings to be precise.

India's fielding was also below-par, having dropped catches in all games - something Gill did not forget to point out. "I honestly felt our fielding in this series was not up to the mark. We dropped some crucial catches, and it's not easy for bowlers on wickets like this to create chances. It's an aspect I think we really have to get better at. These were the big differences between the two teams: their batsmen converted their starts. And New Zealand were better in the field, they must have saved at least 15-20 runs today. These make a big difference."