We need to get better at converting starts and improve our catching: Shubman Gill

Indore: India's first-ever bilateral ODI series defeat at home against New Zealand was not just a statistical jolt but a moment of uncomfortable clarity, and skipper Shubman Gill did not hide behind the margin of defeat or missing personnel.

Speaking after the loss in the series-deciding game here on Sunday, the India captain instead laid bare a pattern that, in his words, "made the difference between the two teams".

"For me, it wasn't that we didn't bat well. It was that we didn't bat long enough. When batsmen are getting starts and they're not able to convert those starts, especially in high-scoring matches, it becomes very difficult. At least two batters need to go on and play that long innings," said Gill after the 41-run defeat at Holkar Stadium.

"That was the difference between them and us." The inability to turn promising starts into match-defining scores haunted India throughout the series, including in Indore where Virat Kohli's century briefly threatened to swing the momentum back.

Gill repeatedly returned to the contrast with New Zealand's approach.

"Whenever their batsmen got set, they scored long. That's the difference. Even in the first two matches, I got set, but I wasn't able to convert it into 100, 120 or 130, and that's something we need to get better at as a batting unit." The conversation then inevitably turned to Ravindra Jadeja, whose returns with both bat and ball have dipped over the last two to three years.

Gill was quick to contextualise the all-rounder's struggles rather than isolate them.

"Jaddu bhai was looking in good touch with the bat. But it wasn't just him. I don't think any of our batsmen were able to consistently convert the starts we were getting. On pitches like these, if you don't make those starts count, you’re always chasing the game." Gill also acknowledged that Jadeja's wicket-taking impact — once a cornerstone of India's ODI dominance — hasn't been the same recently.

"The way he has been bowling in the past couple of years, he has always been a strike option for us. It's unfortunate he couldn't pick as many wickets as he would have liked, but that happens in series like these. You learn from it and you grow." India's fielding lapses emerged as another decisive factor, especially as overseas teams continue to narrow the gap in Indian conditions. Gill admitted that missed chances shifted momentum at critical moments.

"We dropped some catches at very important stages of the game. On wickets like these, bowlers are trying to force chances, and when those catches don't stick, it's not easy. No one drops a catch intentionally, but it's one area we really have to improve." While Rohit Sharma's modest returns across the series -- 61 runs -- drew scrutiny, Gill backed his senior opener's intent and approach.

"He has been in very good form. You won't always be able to convert the starts you get. As a batsman, you always want to make it into hundreds, but that doesn't happen every time. That's impossible. What's important is that the intent and rhythm are there."

Harshit Rana is a great prospect for future

Amid the disappointment, Gill highlighted a positive that could shape India's future ODI balance — the rise of Harshit Rana as a lower-order batting option.

"Batting at number eight is a very important position for us. All the top teams in the world bat really deep. We want to give opportunities to players who can strengthen that depth, and Harshit is someone who is constantly improving his batting." Gill went further, underlining why Rana excites the team management.

"You don't get too many bowlers who can consistently bowl at 140-plus with the height that he has," he said.

"And the way he is batting right now, he keeps getting better. In the future, he can be a very good prospect for us." With the World Cup still some distance away, Gill believes the defeat offers clarity rather than crisis.

"The way we want to play, we haven't been able to do it consistently in this series," he admitted.

"But we have time. As long as all the players are aware of what we need to work on, hopefully in the next one or two series we can fix those areas and perform the way we want to."