However, in his first taste of leadership on the biggest stage, Mitchell Santner’s pride was on show for all to see in the wake of New Zealand’s four-wicket loss to India in the final ofthe Champions Trophy.
In the end, it was far closer than it should have been. A nation with a population less than that of Mumbai’s largest suburb ended up on the losing side, against the might and resources of 1.438 billion cricket-mad people.
Two things can be true at the same time. India were the best side in the tournament, but they were also given advantages that no other side was for the duration of the Champions Trophy.
Refusal to play in Pakistan, the intended host nation, meant India played all five of their matches in Dubai. In return, they were allowed to acclimatise to the conditions on offer and were not hampered by travel considerations.
What’s more, that security of knowing where every match would be played meant India could tailor their 15-man squad to maximise their advantage in favourable conditions.
Of the playing XI India named for Sunday’s final, four of the six bowlers used were front-line spinners, and sent down 38 of the 50 overs. In comparison, New Zealand had two – Santner and Michael Bracewell – while Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra provided extra options as part-timers.
Mitchell Santner and the Black Caps were unable to claim the Champions Trophy. Photo / Getty Images
On the day, India’s fourth-choice spinner, Ravindra Jadeja, boasts more than 300 test wickets and over 200 in ODIs. New Zealand’s fourth choice, Phillips, began his career as a wicketkeeper.
And yet, with everything that went in favour of their opponents as much as it went against them, you won’t hear any excuses from New Zealand.
“I couldn’t be prouder of this group,” said Santner. “There’s always adversity in these tournaments. You could take it back to a few different things.
“We didn’t really complain about anything, we kind of get on with it. That’s how we like to operate.
“I’m pretty proud of the way we fought throughout this whole tournament, in different conditions everywhere we went.”
As far as Santner himself goes, the 33-year-old should be content with his first tournament as fulltime captain.
And yet, it was Santner who got the nod. Coming through the domestic ranks with Northern Districts, Santner’s nickname was “Flatline”, in reference to the fact nothing ever seemed to raise his heart rate.
In Pakistan and Dubai, that showed. Throughout the tournament and the Tri Nations series win over South Africa and Pakistan before it, there was never a sense of panic in New Zealand’s captain, while his bowling changes and field placements were clearly that of a seasoned campaigner.
New Zealand’s golden generation is clearly on its last legs. However, with the emergence of the likes of Ravindra, Phillips and Will O’Rourke as all-format regulars under the age of 30, there’s already evidence another could be around the corner, if the right things go their way.
“It’s been an easy one to captain,” Santner continued. “Different guys stepped up at different times throughout the tournament, which has been outstanding. We came up against a very good team today.”
While in isolation, the final result can be put down to losing to a better side, the wider context of New Zealand’s falling at the final hurdle doesn’t make for good reading.
India's team celebrate after winning the ICC Champions Trophy final against the Black Caps in Dubai. Photo / AFP
Since the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy, the Black Caps have played in six major finals. They’ve won only two.
And while there are no active players from the side that lost the 2009 Champions Trophy final and only one from the 2015 World Cup final defeat – both to Australia – the class of 2019 onwards have failed to get over the line.
As captain, Santner has now been part of the teams that lost the 2019 World Cup final to England, 2021 T20 World Cup final to Australia, and this year’s defeat to India.
Regardless, given the context of the international game that always has seen New Zealand as an overachiever, there wasn’t much else this Black Caps side could have done.
“I guess they’re starting to add up now,” he joked. “If you make a final, you’re coming up against another pretty good team who’s playing pretty good cricket.
“I was proud of the way we fought tonight. We pride ourselves in the field on not giving up. I don’t think we did throughout that innings.
“It’s bittersweet, you always want to win one of these, I don’t know how many more chances we’ll get. We were playing some good cricket leading into this, we thought we were a real sniff today.
Alex Powell is an online sports editor for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016, and previously worked for both Newshub and 1News.
