Cricket: Lost chance to make amends - Mills

Last night's defeat to India at Guwahati in the opener of a five match one-day cricket series was a chance lost for a Black Caps side seeking to make amends for last month's 4-0 drubbing by Bangladesh, bowler Kyle Mills says.

New Zealand, missing captain Daniel Vettori and batsman Brendon McCullum who are nursing back injuries, made a late bid for victory but came up short as they lost the match by 40 runs.

Chasing India's total of 276, New Zealand looked to be out of contention at 169 for eight after 36 overs.

But in fading light on a Nehru Stadium pitch taking considerable turn, Nathan McCullum and Mills launched a daring assault for a ninth-wicket partnership of 67 to offer New Zealand a glimmer of hope.

But McCullum's dismissal in the 45th over allowed India to finish as the easy winners with New Zealand folding up to be dismissed for 236 in 45.2 overs.

Veteran Mills, whose disappointment showed in his body language after his 120th one-day match, said it was a game that had possibly got away from New Zealand.

"They got probably 35 to 40 runs more than they should have got.

"We let then get off to some decent partnerships at the top of the batting order, (though) they lost their last seven wickets for 50 runs."

Mills, who hit 32 off 28 balls, said that the Bangladesh tour had been an extremely disappointing trip and definitely the lowest point of his cricketing career.

"I have had a long time to think about that, and I really wanted to use this one-day series to right the wrongs of that trip.

"We are a far better side than we displayed and need to right those wrongs but unfortunately we fell short in the three departments of batting, fielding and bowling.

"And also definitely on my mind today was the Pike River mining incident back home. A lot of people are mourning and you feel for the people and families involved in that terrible disaster.

"It was great opportunity on Sunday afternoon to put a smile back on the faces of people back home."

The second match of the series is on Wednesday at Jaipur and Mills said that Black Caps needed to improve in all the disciplines of batting, bowling and fielding.

"India have a batting lineup with a reasonably long tail with (all rounder) Yusuf Pathan coming in at number six so we maybe have to be more aggressive in the next game with the top of their order, try and take early wickets and then expose that lower order.

"With the bat, obvious to say, we need partnerships at the top of the order, that's key to winning games in one-day matches.

"In the field, I thought at times we were outstanding, but at times we were also pretty awful - I think we can save another 10 to 12 runs in the field."

- NZPA