NZ v IND | T20 defeats were not hung up on ODI team’s minds, reveals Ross Taylor

Coming off of a 0-3 drubbing in the Test format against Australia and 0-5 in T20s against India, whether the Kiwis would be able to handle the pressure of chasing in excess of 340 under lights against a good Indian attack was the question. And despite some hiccups along the way — especially near the end — the hosts coasted home with four wickets and 11 balls to spare. According to Taylor, the new personnel coming into the ODIs were the ones who made the difference. 

"It's always nice to win after a clean sweep in the T20. Obviously new personnel came in and the loss was not a hang up for them. The last game was our World Cup final and a lot of the guys have played in pressure situations. They are a lot more experienced than the T20 side. So that showed, but it is only one game and lots to go in this series," Taylor said at the post-match press conference, reported TOI.

Walking in at No.4 with the Black Caps still needing 239 for victory in a little over 30 overs, Taylor smashed an 84-ball 109 — his 21st ODI century — and proved to be the lynchpin of the Kiwi chase. However, the senior batsman credited the contributions made by the openers and stand-in skipper Latham for their win. 

"I think there were some great contributions throughout the whole order. I had a lot of help out there. Henry Nicholls and Guptill the way they started, Tom Latham coming at five and starting that way wasn't easy. What made that chase easier for us was the left-right combination. We knew there was one short boundary and we could use that to our advantage,” he said. 

“Even the bowling lineup did well as India looked like they could get 360-370 at one stage. So we just managed to keep it under 350 and it was a psychological mark I guess. The team has to bat well to get that and we did that today," Taylor noted.

The 35-year-old, who got the Kiwis close in the T20 at the same venue before failing to finish the match off, said he was determined to rectify his mistake.

"It's not about going there and smacking every single ball but playing good shots. Trying to have those big overs every now and then, soaking up when they bowled well. They put us under a lot of pressure and obviously when you have world class line up like Bumrah and Kuldeep, you respect that and take into consideration when attacking different bowlers. Some days it comes off, like today, and some days it doesn't," Taylor added.