India captain Virat Kohli said the World Cup 2019 semifinal loss to New Zealand was difficult to accept, but conceded that the Kiwis handled key moments better.
"The first half we were very good. We were spot on with the ball. We thought we had restricted them to a chaseable total. But the way they came out with the ball in the first half-an-hour made difference in the game," Kohli said in the post-match presentation after India's 18-run loss at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
"We knew we had a good day yesterday. We were professional with the ball and felt we had the momentum. They were outstanding with the areas they bowled. I think the skill level on display (from NZ bowlers) was there for all to see. It made life difficult for our batsmen."
He praised Ravindra Jadeja's fighting knock and MS Dhoni's fifty that brought India back into the game. "Jaddu had an outstanding couple of games. The way he played was great for his skill set and for us. MS had a good partnership with him... again a game of small margins, run out (Dhoni's) by a small margin. We played good cricket.
"Forty-five minutes of bad cricket puts you out of the tournament, so it's difficult to accept. But New Zealand played good cricket and deserved to go through. Our shot selection could have been better. Knockouts is anyone's game. New Zealand was braver in crunch situations," he said.
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