T20 World Cup: ‘It was one of those matches where nothing worked out for India,’ says Sachin Tendulkar

India
were
pushed
to
the
brink
of
elimination
after
Virat
Kohli
and
his
men
suffered
a
seven-wicket
loss
to
the
Kiwis
in
Dubai
on
Sunday
(October
31),
their
second
successive
defeat
of
the
tournament.

Tendulkar
said
Indian
batters
were
forced
to
play
big
shots
as
they
were
not
given
easy
singles
by
New
Zealand
and
the
bowlers
lacked
penetration
while
defending
a
low
total
of
110.

“It
was
a
difficult
day
for
our
team
but
these
kinds
of
days
come
sometimes,
when
even
if
you
try,
nothing
comes
out.
Nothing
much
to
talk
about
honestly.
I
just
hope
in
the
coming
days,
our
team
will
show
something
great
in
this
tournament,”
Tendulkar
said.

“I
felt
India
was
playing
a
catching-up
game,
the
way
New
Zealand
were
dominating,
it
was
a
difficult
time
for
our
batters
because
they
could
not
get
those
easy
singles
which
forced
them
to
play
big
shots.
I
don’t
think
there
was
that
penetration
in
our
bowling.”

He
described
New
Zealand
captain
Kane
Williamson’s
tactics
as
top-notch
and
said
he
must
have
come
with
a
lot
of
planning.

“From
ball
one,
his
field
settings
and
bowling
changes
were
top-notch.
I
felt
his
planning
must
be
very
good.
The
first
six
overs,
we
were
35
for
2.
In
that,
20
runs
came
from
five
overs
and
one
over
from
Adam
Milne
yielded
15
runs.
For
me,
the
crucial
phase
of
the
game
was
after
six
to
10th
overs.

“There
were
24
balls
there,
we
scored
13
runs
and
lost
one
wicket.
According
to
me,
that
was
a
critical
phase
in
which
we
missed
out
on
capitalising.
Because
I
know
if
you
lose
wickets
quickly,
then
batters
think
of
making
partnerships.

“But
those
easy
singles
were
not
available
and
that
forced
our
batters
to
play
big
shots.
Rohit
was
out
while
doing
that,
Virat
was
out
like
that,”
said
the
48-year-old
iconic
cricketer
who
has
several
scoring
records
to
his
name.

Tendulkar
also
pointed
out
another
successful
tactic
of
the
Kiwis
while
bowling
to
Pant,
which
he
said
was
similar
to
the
one
employed
during
the
2019
(50-over)
World
Cup.

“Pant
came
and
the
fast
bowlers
came
immediately
and
when
the
spin
attack
came,
immediately
the
end
(of
spin
bowling)
was
changed.
Again
a
smart
move,”
he
explained.

“I
remembered
the
2019
World
Cup
when
Mitchell
Santner
came
to
bowl
to
Pant,
he
was
bowling
from
the
longer
end
so
that
when
Pant
attacked
towards
mid-wicket,
it
would
be
towards
the
longest
boundary
of
the
ground.
It
happened
the
same
way
yesterday
also.”

Tendulkar
also
said
that
leg-spinners
who
are
mixing
up
deliveries
—
googlies,
topspin,
flippers
and
normal
leg-spin
—
have
been
successful
in
the
recent
past
against
India.

“If
I
have
to
speak
about
spinners,
Ish
Sodhi
was
very
effective
yesterday
and
along
with
him
Mitchell
Santner
also
did
bowl
well.
Both
combined
gave
just
32
runs
in
8
overs,
and
that
is
very
impactful
performance.

“We
have
to
do
better
in
these
areas.
When
India
started
bowling,
with
the
kind
of
small
total
you
need
to
take
three
wickets
to
remain
in
the
game.
We
did
not
concede
too
many
runs
and
took
one
wicket
(in
powerplay)
but
it
was
not
impactful
bowling.