At Eden Park on November 4, New Zealand batted first and posted 185 before India chased down a revised target of 143 in 22.4 overs following rain interruptions. This marked the fourth occasion in five matches on the tour when the hosts failed to successfully defend their total. The pattern has been stark: whenever India won the toss, the captain elected to field, forcing New Zealand into the position of batting first and then attempting to defend under increasingly difficult conditions.

Jacob Duffy, the New Zealand pacer, has emerged as a key voice in analysing these defensive struggles. Duffy took three wickets for 49 runs in the opening ODI and has now claimed three wickets in each of his two ODI appearances against India. The sole instance when New Zealand successfully defended came in the fourth T20I, when a record score of 259 proved beyond India's reach. A 113-run second-wicket partnership between Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli had threatened to shift momentum before New Zealand took five wickets in quick succession.

The timing of matches has emerged as a significant consideration in New Zealand's ability to defend totals. Late starts mean that play extends into evening hours when moisture from rain or dew can alter pitch behaviour. Duffy explained how these conditions fundamentally change the dynamics of fast bowling and batting.

"I'm not saying it's impossible [to defend], don't get me wrong. It's not like we're giving up as soon as we've lost a toss. But as soon as you get a little bit of moisture in the wicket - I thought tonight there was a bit of wind around, and we actually might not [get that moisture], but I guess the rain sort of adds that moisture that the dew would have otherwise," Duffy said as quoted by Cricinfo.

What role did pitch conditions play in India's successful chase?

The New Zealand bowler explained how pitch conditions shifted dramatically once moisture entered the surface. When the ball began to skid rather than grip, it removed the natural tackiness that typically assists fast bowlers. India's batsmen capitalised on this change, using the bounce of the surface to their advantage during their successful chase.

"When it does skid on like that, it sort of takes away the tackiness, and that sort of tennis-ball bounce we saw in their innings, which that's what I thought made the ball [skid]," Duffy said.

India's pace attack and World Cup preparations

Duffy acknowledged India's bowling performance and the quality of their pace attack as they prepare for next year's ODI World Cup. Shubman Gill had stressed the importance of tall fast bowlers ahead of the first ODI, with India trialling tall pacers including Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj alongside Arshdeep Singh. Despite recognising India's strengths, Duffy felt New Zealand's batting contributed to the difficulty of defending their total.

"Obviously, I think they bowled really well. I think they've got some big boys in that bowling tech, and they used the bounce of the surface really well," Duffy said.

"So, yeah, they did that well, and we probably just weren't at our best with the bat to start with, and then it was pretty tough to defend 180 [185], and then, you know, they can just come hard like that and just knock a few off pretty quick," he added.

Despite the setback, Duffy signalled New Zealand's intent to respond in the remaining matches. The short ball had shown promise as a tactical option during the opening ODI, and the team planned to use this approach to make an impact on the series.

"We're going to come hard at these guys and show what we've got. In this situation, the short ball seemed to work a little bit, so that was the option to put our stamp on the series, I guess," Duffy said.