Need luck when you deal with world's best finishers, says Jimmy Neesham

Jimmy Neesham scored his first ODI half-century (57 off 47 balls) which helped New Zealand post a fighting total 285 at the PCA Stadium, Mohali, on Sunday. But it was not enough for the visitors to win the match as Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni put up a brilliant 151-run partnership for the 3rd wicket to guide India to an easy victory. Neesham felt that his team had not done that badly on the day, but were outplayed by Kohli-Dhoni's partnership.

"I think we fought pretty hard with the bat in the first innings to get in the end what was probably a slightly below par total. To be fair, I don't think we bowled that bad in the second half," said Neesham told the reporters after the match.

"The way Virat and MS batted was outstanding. When you are dealing with some of the best chasers in the history of the game, you got to have a bit of luck that goes your way. We had a couple of things that did not go our way," he added.

When asked if Dhoni promoting himself up the order had surprised him, Neesham replied, "Not really. We know his modus operandi when he first comes in is often to chew up a few balls, get himself in and then back himself make up for that (dot balls) towards the end of the game. It is extremely challenging with just four fielders outside when a batsman comes out and starts playing shorts like that."

Saying that the dew was not a factor in the second innings, Neesham said that the Kiwis have learnt to deal with Indian conditions.

"It dewed up a little bit. It probably was not as bad as the second game (in Delhi). These are the conditions you expect to have in the subcontinent. We know how to deal with them."

Talking about his 84-run stand for the ninth wicket with Matt Henry, Neesham felt that adding more runs on the board could have helped New Zealand.

"Obviously it was an iffy situation in the first innings. Henry came out and we talked about batting full 50 overs and scrap for as many runs as we could get. We obviously got a boost in the end with a few fours and sixes. But I think another 10-15 runs might have made a big difference."