'They obviously hate getting out' - Santner on Indian batsmen

"It's been a little bit disappointing to lose three games in a row but we are playing a very good side" - Santner. © Getty

In the ongoing five-match ODI series between New Zealand and India, the visitors have been clinical and ruthless as they wrapped up the rubber with a seven-wicket win in the third game to take an unassailable 3-0 lead.

Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand all rounder, admitted that India have been superior across the three games. He also commended the Asian nation for adjusting to different conditions on view. "We have been outplayed in all three games," Santner noted. "It's been a little bit disappointing to lose three games in a row but we are playing a very good side.

"India has shown just how good they are in all conditions. We have not been good enough but there are signs there that we are getting better," he said.

The left-arm spinner, however, observed that they can take a few positives from the losses. Ross Taylor, one of the mainstays of the batting line-up, was able to negate the threat of India's spin twins and ended up with a well-measured 93 in the third ODI at Bay Oval.

"We saw a great partnership in the previous game and I thought we were much better with the ball. It just needs to be a continuation of what we have been doing. We have got two pretty important games coming up - hopefully, we can win this one here and move onto Wellington with some momentum," he said.

Talking about New Zealand's inability to look as incisive as India with the ball, Santner said that the lack of wickets in the middle is hurting them, as is the case in modern ODI games.

"I think the plans have been pretty solid - maybe the execution's been off at times. I guess the key for us is to keep taking wickets through the middle, keep being aggressive.

"They obviously hate getting out - just got to find ways to try and get wickets," Santner said.

Santner also praised his spin bowling counterparts - Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal - for their impressive show in the series. The spin duo has combined to take 14 wickets in the rubber.

Santner added the Indian spinners have been helped by the fact that New Zealand have struggled to get off to solid starts at the top of the order. "They are bowling very well at the moment. The slower pace that they bowl is tending to get a little bit more out of the wicket than guys like myself and Ish who bowl a little bit quicker.

"But that pressure is also being built off the back of the starts we have had (with the bat) - we have always been two down after ten (overs) allowing them to settle into their work," he noted.