The ODI series came with some great lessons for the India National Cricket Team ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup. These lessons from the land of Kiwis will be helpful for the team as they undertake their last-minute preparations in the days before the world event, which will be in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

When Shreyas Iyer faced the journalists after the 5th ODI match against the New Zealand National Cricket Team in Tauranga, he mostly highlighted the takeaways from the series.

India won the ODI series vs New Zealand after a close contest

India won the 5-match ODI series against New Zealand by 3-1. One match was called off due to rain, and one was lost brutally in front of the hosts. In the series, the batters of India were mostly not up to the mark, especially after the washed-out third ODI.

In the absence of India's regular ODI captain Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer was appointed to lead the team for the remaining two matches. In two matches, India lost the fourth ODI before bouncing back in the fifth to seal the series.

During the ODI World Cup, which is in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, the pitches are expected to be helpful for the pace bowlers. It is not evident that on pace-friendly tracks, against New Zealand's quality seamers, the Indian batters had to struggle a lot.

ou never know what will happen in South Africa: Shreyas Iyer

Iyer reckoned that not only his team's batters, but also the home team batters did not play according to their standards in the fifth match as the circumstances were in favour of the seamers. Shreyas Iyer acknowledged the fact that it is impossible to predict how the pitches will react in South Africa.

"You never know what will happen in South Africa. The weather will be different. Batting didn’t happen from both teams… wickets were for bowlers. Most important is to win the series, and we won. We forgot about the 4th ODI loss the next day. Matt Henry was bowling gas… he was lethal. We accepted and moved on," Shreyas Iyer said after the India vs New Zealand 5th ODI, which India won by 22 runs, scoring only 209 runs in the first innings.

Shreyas Iyer on his own captaincy

Reflecting on his own captaincy, Iyer mentioned one win and one defeat made it fifty-fifty for him. New Zealand started the chase well, but in the mid-phase of the second innings, when the game was lacking pace, India utilised the situation by using their pacers, changing the bowling combinations.

"It was a series for bowlers, not for batters. Everyone stood up to the occasion… I enjoyed leading in ODI, challenging, exhausting… There was a period where the game went slow… that’s how you gauge the pace. Exciting. One win, one loss, 50-50," Iyer continued.

"We wanted to give everything, and there was no major discussion at the half-way mark. I stuck with the plan of seamers, and wickets kept coming. When bowlers bowled in partnerships, you bowl tight from one end and pick wickets from the other," he added.