India vs New Zealand, 2017 - 1st ODI - 5 reasons why India lost the match

The 3-match ODI series between India and New Zealand got off to a brilliant start at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday with a keenly fought contest that went all the way down to the wire.

The hosts made a good case for themselves scoring 280 runs in their allotted 50 overs on a not-so-easy batting surface thanks to a brilliant century by skipper Virat Kohli.

The visitors had other ideas though as New Zealand went about their run-chase in a well-planned manner.

Their ploy of safeguarding their wickets despite the required run-rate getting beyond reach, ultimately paid off as the Black Caps won the match by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

New Zealand played well no doubt, but here are 5 reasons why India ended up on the losing end on Sunday.

#1 Ross Taylor & Tom Latham's match-winning partnership

Taylor and Latham's 200-run partnership saw New Zealand make easy work of the 281-run target

Having posted a good total on the board, India started off well with the ball, reducing the visitors to 80-3 in the 18th over. The wickets included those of the experienced and dangerous pairing of Martin Guptill and skipper Kane Williamson.

Veteran Ross Taylor was joined at the crease by wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Latham and India would have been hoping to get one more wicket to make inroads into the inexperienced lower-middle order of the opposition.

However, Taylor and Latham forged a brilliant partnership to bat India out of the contest. They hardly gave the Indian bowlers any chance during their 200-run stand for the fourth wicket and saw their team through.

They knew that there was very little batting to follow in case a wicket falls but they never let the target out of their sights despite rarely going for the big shots. They rotated the strike well and looked well in control of the run-chase.

India tried hard but the breakthrough came right at the end, and by that time the match was lost as the partnership between Latham and Taylor proved to be a match-winning one.

#2 Ploy to attack Trent Boult backfires

Boult was terrific on the day, picking up four wickets including those of the Indian openers and MS Dhoni

The Indian opening duo of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are known for their attacking style of play but they missed a trick on Sunday by trying to have a go too early.

New Zealand's new-ball pairing of Tim Southee and Trent Boult are the Kiwis' most experienced bowlers and India would have done well to see them through before launching an attack on their more inexperienced bowlers.

Rohit Sharma was particularly guilty of throwing his wicket away as he played across the line when he shouldn't have. He had just thrashed Southee for a couple of sixes but tried too hard to go after Boult as well and paid the price.

Boult also played a crucial role later on in the innings dismissing the dangerous duo of MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya at a time when India was looking to accelerate beyond the 300-run mark.

The left-arm seamer ended with dream figures of 4/38 in his 10 overs, including a wicket-maiden and was crucial to New Zealand's victory on Sunday.

#3 Letting the game drift away

Kohli was terrific with the bat no doubt but missed the trick with his captaincy

There was a phase during India's innings with the bat when the commentators pointed out to New Zealand allowing Dinesh Karthik to settle in easily without attacking him when he came into bat.

He was eventually dismissed in the very first over that Tim Southee was recalled into the bowling attack.

India missed the trick as well as they failed to capitalise on the relatively early breakthroughs, especially when you consider the fact that New Zealand does not bat deep.

Kohli should have attacked more with his field placements as well as bringing in his main bowlers for a couple of overs perhaps rather than bowling out the fifth bowler.

#4 Karthik and Dhoni's dismissals at key junctures

Dhoni was dismissed at a time when India was hoping that he would accelerate the scoring

Both Dinesh Karthik, who was making a comeback into the Indian side for the first time since the series against West Indies in June, and MS Dhoni, played a crucial role in the Indian innings alongside skipper Virat Kohli but their dismissals came at a crucial time in the match.

Karthik did a good job of rebuilding the innings after India had been reduced for 71-3, and he did so taking very few risks. He added 73 runs for the fourth wicket with Kohli but was dismissed for 37, falling to Tim Southee as his attempted pull shot found the fielder at fine leg.

Dhoni walked out to the crease to join Kohli in the middle and like Karthik, did well to keep the innings going but like Karthik failed to convert the start into a big score, as he was dismissed in the 41st over.

The dismissals proved crucial as India found it hard to accelerate towards the end, in spite of Kohli's presence in the middle. The hosts did post a good total on the board, but as it proved in the end, it was a little short than what was needed on this surface.

#5 Indian spinners ineffectiveness during the middle overs

The Indian spinners failed to get the required breakthroughs as well as keeping a check on the New Zealand run-rate

Both Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav has done a commendable job for Team India in the limited-overs formats keeping out the experienced duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja out of the side.

But on Sunday, the pair proved to be ineffective at getting the breakthroughs for the side as well as keeping a check on the New Zealand scoring.

Yadav did get the key wicket of New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, dismissing the 27-year-old cheaply, but that was the only bright spot in what was an otherwise disappointing outing for the leg-spinner.

le Yadav conceded more than six runs an over, Chahal fared little better conceding 51 runs off his 10 overs, but what India required from their frontline spinner was a breakthrough, which unfortunately never came.