India, March 10 -- New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner admitted his side was always up against it after India's explosive start, conceding that the Black Caps entered the final as underdogs and needed everything to go their way while chasing a mammoth total.

The Black Caps, who have now featured in four World Cup finals, were completely outplayed by India, slumping to a 96-run defeat in the summit clash here on Sunday night as their search for a maiden white-ball title continued.

"I guess it's not ideal, losing semis and finals, but like I said the other day, you get to this situation, you're coming up against teams that are also playing very good cricket," Santner said.

"India in a final in India is always going to be a challenge. We...