After taking key wickets against India in the fourth T20I, in Vishakhapatnam, left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner that the early wicket of in-form Abhishek Sharma helped New Zealand put pressure on India.
Santner took 3 wickets for 26 runs as New Zealand beat India by 50 runs at the ACA-VDCA Stadium.
The 33-year-old also did not forget the role Tim Seifert played in Kiwis' win, smashing a 36-ball 62.
The opener also milked 100 runs for the opening wicket with Devon Conway.
"Timmy's shown his class. He has been playing in franchise cricket the whole year and I guess he's a regular in many T20s teams now. We've seen the way India approached the power play, it's very important at the start.
"So, I think today, they (Seifert and Conway) set us up for a good score in the power play. We've seen, obviously, India do it to us in the last few games. Timmy played outstanding, reacted to the ball, and it didn't matter who was bowling. I think with dew as well, that partnership put us in a great spot," he said.
Speaking of Abhishek's wicket, Santner said: "I think in the other games, the guys were flying. Abhishek, you know, it doesn't get any harder than that. And that's why I told the bowlers, that's as hard as it gets. So, it was nice to bounce back," he said.
India might have won the series but Santner hoped that the experience of going through various situations across the ODIs and T20Is against the hosts will stand his side in good stead during next month's T20 World Cup.
"I said that at the start of the series, there's no better prep than playing India in India before the World Cup. Regardless of the result, we were tested a lot in the first few games. But, again, it's learning, it's putting guys in roles to perform.
"If we come up against India at some stage or even, you know, the wickets, like we're most likely to get in the World Cup...when you do come up against those pressure situations, again, you can be clear."
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