‘Both matches we could have easily been on the winning side’: New Zealand head coach Rob Walter after second T20I defeat to India

India’s Shreyas Iyer is dismissed by New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner during the second T20 Cricket International between New Zealand and India in Christchurch, New Zealand. (John Davidson/Photosport via AP) New Zealand head coach Rob Walter believes his side were competitive in the first two T20Is against India but failed to make the most of the important opportunities. After losing the second game by four wickets, following the defeat in the series opener, Walter encouraged his players to recover and improve in the remaining games.“Both games we could have easily been on the winning side, but they weren’t,” Walter said.“We probably missed a few opportunities every time where you probably would have sealed the game for us. It’s a little bit disappointing but also a lot of fun with the way we played.”Walter said New Zealand performed well for most of the two matches despite limited competitive co-op cricket before the series. However, mistakes at crucial moments cost them.

Walter praises the batting recovery and Santner’s bowling

New Zealand recovered from the loss of three wickets during the powerplay in the second T20I to post 180 runs. Walter praised Bevan and Glenn for helping the team achieve a competitive total.“Even going back to last night, three in the power play. It’s not often you get a 180 from that position,” Walter said.“Bevan and Glen did a heck of a job there to get us to 180 in the end, which was a pretty defendable number to be honest.He also singled out captain Mitchell Santner’s four wicket haul and praised his ability to change pace and control the ball without much help from the field.“Sometimes it’s underrated how skilled he is. I think last night was a great display of his full repertoire of skills,” Walter said.Walter added that Santner’s calm attitude and leadership were important assets to the team. He also admitted that fielding mistakes and no ball hurt New Zealand in the second match.