Ahmedabad, February 15 New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell said the Black Caps lost the game due to the Powerplays, as they lost by seven wickets to South Africa in their T20 World Cup clash here, their first defeat of the tournament.
"I think, probably in both Powerplays, we let the game slip," Mitchell said after the loss on Saturday night.
"With the bat, we lost too many wickets early and struggled in the middle phase. And then with the ball, we need to acknowledge that we weren't as good as we could have been."
New Zealand managed 175 for 7 after recovering from early setbacks, but Mitchell admitted that they were aiming for a larger total on a pitch that was conducive to strokeplay.
"We rebuilt and put ourselves in a position to capitalize late in the innings, but we couldn't quite reach the 200 total we wanted. We always want more runs," he said.
South Africa comfortably chased the target, benefiting from a strong start in the Powerplay, something Mitchell conceded made the difference.
"When two batsmen are bowling aggressively at you, that's the nature of T20 cricket. Someone will win, someone will lose. Unfortunately, we were on the losing side tonight," he added.
Mitchell credited the South African bowling attack for executing their plans better, especially with variations.
"I thought their bowlers, especially Marco (Jansen), bowled really well. You could tell they had experience on this pitch, and their plans and strategies were clear. I give them credit," he said.
Regarding a crucial period late in New Zealand's innings when boundaries dried up, Mitchell described it as a natural part of the game.
"Sometimes the shots go for six, sometimes they get caught on the boundary. We built a strong foundation after losing early wickets and put ourselves in a position to put pressure on them. But, unfortunately, things didn't go our way, and we didn't reach the total we were aiming for," he said.
Despite the setback, Mitchell said the team would quickly shift its focus to the next match.
"A strength of this Black Caps group is our resilience. We will take the lessons from this game and look forward to the next one. We still represent our country and want to win games," he said.
Mitchell also praised the atmosphere at the Narendra Modi Stadium, saying New Zealand have enjoyed strong support during their stay in India.
"It's a beautiful ground and a special place to play. We have been here for nearly six weeks, and we appreciate the support the Indian people give us. We feel like we are their second favourite team, after India," he added.
