Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly yesterday gave full credit to the batsmen for applying themselves very well and expressed the hope that his team would repeat the performance in the TVS Cup Tri-series final against Australia on Tuesday.
"It was a crucial toss to win and after that we batted very well to score over 350," Ganguly said after India scored an emphatic 145 run victory over the Kiwis in a do-or-die encounter.
"We applied ourselves very well. It just looks like we apply well when under pressure. It is essential that we continue to apply ourselves everyday," he said.
Commenting on India's chances in the final against the world champions, he said the team has performed well at the Eden Gardens in the past and hopes to do the same again.
"It's going to be a fantastic experience to play in front of 1,00,000 people," he said.
Ganguly, however, was not full of praise for his new ball bowlers, saying the real test would be when they have to defend a smaller total.
"Yes, they bowled well," he said. "But when there are 350 runs on the board you are relaxed. We will have to wait and see how they perform when there are 270 on the board."
New Zealand's stand-in skipper Chris Cairns admitted that the two openers took the game away from them and they had no chance to come back after India had posted such a huge total.
The all-rounder said the team was a bit worried about its performance in the opening department and also its bowling at the 'death', and these points need to be sorted out before the next leg of the tour.
"We will now sit down and figure out our problems and try to improve on them," Cairns said.
The New Zealand team heads to Pakistan next for a five-match limited overs series.
The team did a great job by not losing to India in the Test series and also lost just one limited overs match, Cairns said, but lamented that "the only match we lost was the one which counted the most".
Man of the Match Virendra Sehwag, who scored a scintillating 130, said he had struggled against the Australians at Bangalore and so decided to occupy the crease as long as possible.
"I am coming back after a back problem and had very little practice. But now I am finding my touch," he added.
