Williamson rues ‘small margins’ in Black Caps’ defeat

Kane Williamson believes his New Zealand team enhanced their reputations despite twice falling agonisingly short of breakthrough cricket series victories in India.

The Black Caps returned home yesterday, some to rejoin domestic cricket next week and prepare for the West Indies series starting on December 1, after losing the Twenty20 decider by six runs.

In an unfulfilling finale at the impressive new stadium at Thiruvananthapuram, New Zealand’s 61-6 wasn’t enough to overhaul India’s 67-5 in the rainreduced eight-over match on a tricky pitch. It also saw them relinquish the T20 world No 1 ranking to Pakistan, after they’d grabbed it back with victory in game two.

After losing by the same margin in the ODI series finale for another 2-1 defeat, the Black Caps are yet to win a series of three or more matches in India across the formats. Yesterday’s was their third decider in India in the past 13 months, all with the same result.

‘‘In both of them [deciders] we were very good, just not quite good enough. Both of them came down to the last couple of balls and when that is the case it’s such small margins,’’ Williamson said.

‘‘There’s still a way to go to where we want to be but we showed some really good signs. It’s such a fine line, especially in white-ball cricket and we saw that throughout this series.’’

In the ODI decider at Kanpur, New Zealand were spurred by

opener Colin Munro’s 75 off 62 balls as they reached 331-7 to fall six runs short of India.

Munro was one to repay the selectors’ faith, and cement a spot at the top of the order, while Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi all emerged with credit.

Latham solidified the middle

order with some superb knocks at No 5, notably the clinical run chase in Mumbai. Still, finishing off a chase remains a work-on for the side after getting so close in both deciders.

‘‘At times guys got out playing for the cause and that’s what you want to see because you know if they come off they’ll make a difference.

That’s something we encourage,’’ Williamson said.

Opener Martin Guptill was below his best while allrounder Colin de Grandhomme didn’t nail his big audition in a country he’s shone for Kolkata in the IPL.

Otherwise the bowlers were good, headed by Boult who was outstanding in trying conditions

across the six matches. Spin duo Santner and Sodhi also earned high praise from the skipper after strangling the high-quality Indian batting lineup in tandem.

When the reduced Eight8 match finally got under way, after a twoand-a-half hour rain delay, the Black Caps looked to have done well to restrict the hosts to 67-5.

Santner, after some bad misses in previous matches, was outstanding with a grass-high catch and another spectacular leaping assist for de Grandhomme.

But the damp, tacky surface where the ball gripped and turned wasn’t great for chasing and India’s accurate attack sensed their chance. In such a short match it became a lottery but the hosts were better before a raucous crowd. De Grandhomme cleared the rope twice in his 17 not out but they needed at least one more as wickets fell regularly.

‘‘It was a tricky surface and to get eight an over on that, from India’s point of view, was a good effort. We knew it was going to be tough and we got very close,’’ Williamson said.