India vs New Zealand 2017: Five major gains for the Kiwis from the tour

Although New Zealand lost both the ODI and T20I legs of their tour to India, they fought valiantly till the very end. They forced the hosts into deciders in both formats, and lost ever so closely in the end.

New Zealand weren't pushovers by any means, and their performances have to be appreciated big time. They still remain a force to reckon with in the limited-over formats, and that was reiterated once again in the recent matches.

Let us take a look at some of the positives that New Zealand could take away from this tour.

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#5 Highly competitive until the very end

New Zealand started their tour of India knowing that the Indians had not lost a single series in any format since January 2016. At the end of the tour, the results suggested that the Indian team were given a run for their money. New Zealand fought tooth and nail against the famed Indian line up, as both the ODI and T20I series went into deciders.

They played exceeding well across formats, and quite lived up to their reputation of being giant-killers. They were meticulous in their planning and strategies against each Indian player, providing engrossing contests in the process.

#4 Different players standing up to the occasion

The Kiwis were brilliant on the field

Another highlight of the tour for New Zealand was the way in which a host of players, ranging from Colin Munro to Ish Sodhi, delivered telling performances. It must have satisfied their team management, as different players played their parts at vital stages throughout the tour.

While Tom Latham and Ross Taylor played brilliantly in Mumbai, Kane Williamson and Colin Munro dazzled at Kanpur with their audacious stroke play. Colin Munro was the star with the bat, as he compiled his second T20I century, at Rajkot, paving the way for a New Zealand win.

Trent Boult fizzled out a bit after the opening ODI, but came back strongly in the T20I series, finishing with six wickets. He was ably supported by Tim Southee and the spin twins, Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner who were brilliant all through. Colin de Grandhomme, Henry Nicholls and Martin Guptill also played their part effectively. New Zealand have certainly moved on from their bits and pieces cricketers to specialist contributors.

#3 Execution of strategies

Williamson was spot-on with his decision-making

New Zealand had visited India 11 times before this tour, and always ended up being on the losing side. As coach Mike Hesson pointed out, there was a need to rethink their strategies, before embarking upon a tour to the subcontinent.

Before the tour, New Zealand A played the India A side in limited-overs and four-day games, and 6 players from that team were picked for the main team. They had acclimatized to the conditions fairly well, and also had a proper working strategy in place.

The bowlers always kept the run flow in check, never veering from their lines and lengths, while Kane Williamson was smart with the bowling changes he made. Colin Munro was promoted as an opener, as the Kiwis felt the need for a power hitter at the top while Tom Latham dropped down to the middle order. Both moves paid rich dividends, as they contributed heavily to the team's cause.

#2 Better tackling of spin bowling

New Zealand countered India's spin threat exceptionally

A marked improvement from previous tours for the Kiwis was the way in which they played the Indian spinners. They had come out with a clear plan of not losing wickets in the middle overs, which had often been their downfall in past tours.

They were well equipped this time around and found relative success in tackling the spinners. In the 1st ODI at Mumbai, Ross Taylor and Tom Latham swept the spinners time and again, making them alter their lengths and eventually winning the contest. There were occasional blips, like in the 1st T20I at Delhi, but the Kiwi batsmen looked assured and compact at the crease on most occasions.

The side are definitely a work in progress, and their recent exploits surely indicate that they are progressing in the right direction.

#1 Emergence of quality spinners

Ish Sodhi was magnificent throughout the tour

The biggest takeaway for New Zealand would be the overwhelming success of their spin twins, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi. Santner proved to be quite a roadblock for the Indians, as he bowled cleverly in both the ODIs and T20Is, often varying his pace and changing his lines and lengths deceptively.

He was mighty impressive in the T20Is, as the Indian batsmen struggled to pick him, resulting in him sending down quick, economical overs. Despite dropping important catches in the series, he more than made up for that in the T20I decider at Thiruvananthapuram, with some stunning takes near the boundary.

Sodhi had been highly inconsistent in his International career, until this Indian tour. He is surely the find of the tournament for the Kiwis with his brilliant spells which helped keep the run flow in check.

He mixed his leg spinners with the occasional googly, picking up five wickets in the T20I leg, with an impressive economy rate of 7.3 and an excellent strike rate of 12. He formed a potent partnership with Santner, picking up crucial wickets at regular intervals. His performances in Delhi and Rajkot, where the surfaces were the least responsive, were of the highest quality.