IND vs NZ 2022-23, Auckland ODI: 'Not easy to directly come from India and play here' - Iyer

India batter Shreyas Iyer admitted that a "few things didn't go their way" in the opening One-Day International (ODI) against New Zealand. As a team, it needs to "introspect" and come back more robust in the remaining two games of the series. Wicketkeeper-batter Tom Latham hit an attacking unbeaten 145 off 104 balls. Also, skipper Kane Williamson struck an unconquered 94 off 98 deliveries as New Zealand chased down India's 307-run target with seven wickets in hand and 17 balls to spare. Iyer, who scored a 76-ball 80, said 306/7 posted by India was a respectable total, but the visitors were blown away by the unconquered 221-run fourth-wicket partnership between Latham and Williamson.

"The situation we were in and from there to reach 307 is a respectable total. Some things didn't go our way today, but it's a learning curve. We can introspect, come back with new ideas in the next game," Iyer said in the post-match press conference. The right-handed batter said India couldn't afford to get bogged down by the defeat and approach the next two matches with a positive frame of mind.

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"It's not easy to directly come from India and play here. Wickets keep on changing in every place, and this is a challenge which you need to face. You have to be mentally strong. Just have to adapt to the situations," Iyer said. He lauded the fearless approach of Tom Latham and skipper Kane Williamson, which made a big difference as hosts New Zealand took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series with a comfortable seven-wicket win in the high-scoring first match at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday.

"Both of them [Latham and Williamson] played fantastic knocks. They knew which bowlers to target at a specific time. Their partnership completely changed the game's scenario, which was crucial for us to get wickets. If we had got one wicket, we would have been under their skin, and the situation could have been completely different. But kudos to them that they found the strength to convert those loose balls into boundaries and sixes. They were fearless in their approach, and I feel that's what helped them," Iyer added.

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Chasing a required run rate of over eight, Latham spanked Shardul Thakur for 25 runs in the 40 overs that, include six and four boundaries that shifted the momentum of the match. "The way Latham took that over [40th], I think that completely shifted the momentum towards them. He wanted to come in, and he wanted to build that partnership. Since they have been playing together for so many years, they know their strengths and weaknesses pretty closely,'" Iyer said.

On a personal front, Iyer said that he is always in his zone and hardly pays heed to the talk in the outside world. "Approach is always optimistic. I prefer to think only a little about the future. I do whatever is in my hands and try to live in the present. Players will come and go, but consistency is what is going to matter. Ups and downs are in everyone's career. There is nothing called stable. I like to be in my zone when people are talking outside, which helps me," he assessed.

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For him, the most extensive learning is how Latham started his innings. "The learning from this match is that we could have created more pressure when we got a wicket. If we could have curbed Latham's start, definitely we would have been on top of them," Iyer concluded. The second ODI will be played at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday.

(With inputs from PTI)

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