SportsPosted at: Oct 24 2026 5:58PM


Iyer hails Tilak, Reddy; Santner rues missed chances

Christchurch, Oct 24 (UNI) India captain Shreyas Iyer on Saturday hailed Tilak Varma and Nitish Reddy for showing immense character under pressure, admitting that the game appeared to be slipping away after his team lost wickets in succession before the duo helped turn the contest around against New Zealand.
“When we lost wickets, consecutive wickets especially, we thought that the game was going away from us. But Tilak and Reddy, they showed immense character, and also a great cameo by Naman Dhir,” Iyer said after the match.
The India captain said the contest underlined the match-winning ability within the squad, with players stepping up when the team needed them most. "I feel that every individual in our game is a match-winner, and today we saw the example of that," he said.
Iyer also praised Naman Dhir for his all-round abilities, describing him as a comprehensive cricketer capable of contributing with both bat and ball, besides making an impact in the field.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, meanwhile, acknowledged that his side had come close to turning the contest in its favour, saying one more wicket could have changed the outcome. "I think if we got one more wicket there, it was kind of game over," Santner said, praising the way Tilak, Naman and Reddy controlled the chase and forced New Zealand into errors towards the end.
Santner credited his bowlers for pulling New Zealand back into the contest after India threatened to take control. He particularly praised Michael Bracewell's performance through the middle overs, while acknowledging that missed opportunities proved costly.
"It's just kind of those little moments where whether it's in the field or kind of those little sloppy stuff that's going to hurt us a little bit," he said, pointing to lapses in execution, including no-balls, as areas of concern.
Reflecting on New Zealand's batting effort, Santner praised Glenn Phillips and Bevon Jacobs for rebuilding the innings after the team lost three early wickets.
The pair, he said, assessed the conditions well and built their innings before accelerating, taking advantage of the surface once they had spent time at the crease. "We were only 60-odd after 10, but then I think it's one of those surfaces where if you give yourself a chance, give yourself some balls, you can kind of cash in with the power of those two," Santner said.
He also credited Bracewell for his late contribution, which helped New Zealand push its total towards 180.
Iyer, meanwhile, acknowledged that New Zealand's spinners, Santner and Bracewell, had made the chase difficult by controlling the scoring in the middle overs. The accumulation of dot balls pushed up India's required run rate and prevented the team from cruising towards the target.
"It wasn't easy to strike the ball, but I think if we would have picked up the gaps and tried to find boundaries, we could have easily cruised," Iyer said.
Despite the pressure, the India captain expressed confidence that the team would learn from the experience and bounce back strongly. He also emphasised the importance of sharp fielding, saying players had been instructed to anticipate the ball and prevent opponents from converting singles into twos.
With the series still in progress, Iyer cautioned against complacency, stressing that India had more work to do. "Job is still half done," he said.
Santner, on his part, said the quick turnaround between matches could necessitate rotation, with Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson having gone off the field. He described the decisions as precautionary and hoped both players would recover well.
UNI BDN
Tags: #Iyer hails Tilak# Reddy; Santner rues missed chances
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