India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, didn't shy away from voicing his concern as India's batting collapsed against New Zealand, getting bundled out for just 89 runs. The 244-run defeat on Friday exposed deep-seated flaws in conditions close to what his side will face at next year's World Cup in South Africa.

Gambhir said the bigger issue was not the low score alone but how fast India folded. New Zealand made 333 in 50 overs before Matt Henry's six-wicket haul bowled India out in 26.4 overs.

"You're always concerned when you get bundled out for 90-odd. Why won't I be concerned? These are conditions which are going to be closest to what we might get during the World Cup," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.

"The bigger concern is not the runs. It's how quickly we got bundled out, around 26 or 27 overs. That is something which is always a concern," he added.

India had shown similar signs in the previous match as well. They slipped to 111 for seven while chasing 135 in a rain-curtailed game, adding to concerns over how the batting unit handles seam movement early in the innings.

He said the opening phase in New Zealand is the hardest period for batters. "If you get 35 or 40 in the first 10 overs without losing a wicket, that is also good enough. Here, it's probably the most difficult time," he said.

The India coach said batters need to be more decisive against the lengths bowled by Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson. Those deliveries left them caught between going forward and playing off the back foot, which fed the collapse.