Entertainers, athletes and those from the business world will team up with players this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Here's a look at some notable pairings, including the handicaps for the amateurs.

Jim Furyk and Tony Romo (0)

Russell Knox and Matt Ryan (1)

Jordan Spieth and Jake Owen (2)

Patrick Cantlay and Kelly Slater (2)

Kevin Na and Alfonso Ribeiro (3)

Jason Dufner and Colt Ford (4)

Troy Merritt and Jimmy Dunne (5)

Viktor Hovland and Justin Verlander (5)

Harry Higgs and Jay Monahan (6)

Charley Hoffman and Chris O'Donnell (7)

Wyndham Clark and Joe Don Rooney (7)

Martin Trainer and Michael Peña (7)

Kevin Streelman and Larry Fitzgerald (8)

Luke Donald and Peyton Manning (8)

Maverick McNealy and Scott McNealy (8)

Dustin Johnson and Wayne Gretzky (9)

Daniel Berger and Josh Duhamel (9)

Max Homa and Aaron Rodgers (9)

Brian Gay and Chris Harrison (9)

Patrick Rodgers and Charles Schwab (10)

Kevin Chappell and Eli Manning (10)

Chad Campbell and Huey Lewis (11)

Doc Redman and Heidi Ueberroth (13)

Sebastian Cappelen and Larry The Cable Guy (14)

Brandt Snedeker and Steve Young (14)

Lanto Griffin and Macklemore (15)

Zac Blair and Kira K. Dixon (15)

Michael Gligic and Ray Romano (15)

Brandon Wu and Condoleezza Rice (15)

Steve Stricker and Toby Keith (16)

D. A. Points and Bill Murray (16)

Ryan Brehm and Chris Berman (16)

Chesson Hadley and Peter Ueberroth (18)

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Phil Mickelson isn’t yet qualified to play the U.S. Open this summer at Winged Foot, where he could author one of the great stories in the game’s history should he complete the career Grand Slam.

At 50, he would be the oldest winner in the history of the championship by almost five years.

Asked about the possibility of getting in with a USGA special exemption, Mickelson surprised with his answer.

“I won't accept it,” he said. “So, I am either going to get in the field on my own, or I'll have to try to qualify. I'm not going to take a special exemption.”

Why not?

“I don't want a special exemption,” he said. “I think I'll get in the tournament. If I get in, I deserve to be there. If I don't, I don't. I don't want a sympathy spot. If I am good enough to make it and qualify, then I need to earn my spot there.”

Mickelson was asked if a special exemption offer would really feel like sympathy or a reward for a great career.

“I see it as the former, and I don’t want that,” he said.

Mickelson climbed to No. 72 in the Official World Golf Ranking with his tie for third at the Saudi International last weekend. He needs to crack the top 60 in the world rankings as of two weeks before the U.S. Open or by the week of the event to be exempt to play at Winged Foot. Or, he needs to win the Masters, The Players, the PGA Championship or multiple PGA Tour events (that aren’t opposite field events), all of which would assure he’s among the top 60 anyway.

Or, he could earn his way in through a U.S. Open sectional qualifier.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Phil Mickelson isn’t exactly embracing the USGA and R&A’s conclusions in its Distance Insights Project.

Apparently, that’s partly due to its authors.

He believes the USGA and R&A’s findings don’t give athletes enough credit for the distance gains.

Also, he doesn’t appear to favor those organizations' plans to study the possibility of establishing a local rule that would allow tournament bodies to rein back equipment, to shorten the distance that balls and clubs create.

Asked specifically about constraints the local rule would allow, Mickelson said:

“I struggle with some of our governing bodies. I struggle with it because we're the only professional sport in the world that is governed by a group of amateurs, and that leads to some questionable directions that we go down. I wish that we had people that are involved in the sport professionally to be in charge a little bit more.”

Mickelson’s relationship with the USGA has been tested over the years. He has been critical of U.S. Open setups, a frustration that appeared to be behind his controversially swatting a moving putt at the 13th hole in the third round of the championship at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, when the USGA lost control of baked out greens.

What does Mickelson think of the project’s conclusion that distance gains are detrimental to the game and need to stop? He said he didn’t explore the report in depth, but from what he has read, he believes it doesn’t give athletes enough credit for creating distance gains.

“I also don't feel that you should punish the athletes for getting better,” he said. “I don't think that we have had massive equipment changes. We have just had athletes that have been able to take advantage of the equipment, more so than in the past. And I hate to see that discouraged.

“You look at what Bryson [DeChambeau] has done getting in the gym, getting after it, lifting weights, and hitting bombs . . . and now you're talking about trying to roll it back, because he has made himself a better athlete? So, I don't know if I agree with that.”

Mickelson tempered his remarks, saying he doesn’t have all the perspective required to know the full impact distance is having on other areas of the sport.

“I also don't really understand the whole scope of how it affects the game and how it affects agronomy and golf courses and so forth, so I'm not sure I'm the best one to really comment on it,” he said. “I just know from the small little bubble of the PGA Tour, I hate seeing the athletes be punished, or discouraged from continuing to work and get better.”

Mickelson was asked if he remembers how far he hit the ball when he was 21, and how much of the distance gains he enjoys as a 49-year-old today are due to technology and how much are due to athleticism. He acknowledged a big part of the jump was solid-core ball technology, but he said training to find more speed in his swing is also a large reason he still hits it with the tour’s longest players.

“So, my numbers might be fractionally off, but in 1993 or 1994 I was 25th in driving distance at 269 [yards], and in 2003, I was 25th in distance at 299,” he said. “So, there's a 30-yard difference there. And I've jumped up a little bit in the last few years from 2003. I'm averaging just over 300, I don't know, 303, 307, something like that. And that is equating to just training and swinging the club faster. I've always been right around 25th in distance, give or take, and I'm back to that area, I would say.

“But, in that jump, I would say a big majority of that jump was that golf ball, when we went from the wound ball to the solid core. That was a big deal, because what happened was the longer guys with more speed, the stronger guys, would swing that wound ball and it would just over spin. It would spin 3,400, 3,500 RPMs. It's not that the ball came off slower. It just had so much drag in the spin. And when we created that solid-core technology, we were able to reduce the spin and increase the launch, and also perimeter weight the ball. So, that made a big difference too, because it wasn't curving as much, and that allowed guys to hit it the same speed off the face, but get rid of 1,200 to 1,500 RPMs of spin, and reduce the drag, and get the ball to fly right through the air. That's been the biggest difference.”

Mickelson went deep, when speaking about power’s place in the game, and the importance of swing speed. He rivaled DeChambeau in talking the science of golf:

“You can win on the PGA Tour not hitting the ball long,” Mickelson said. “You can out-putt, you can out-strike, you can have great weeks and win golf tournaments without being the longest guy, or without overpowering a golf course. But, you cannot dominate the sport without [speed]. You might be able to do it for a year or two, but you can't out-perform everyone consistently without clubhead speed, because there's no substitute for speed in this game. It allows you to put more spin on the ball. It allows you to hit the ball longer, make carries come in higher and softer into the greens. It allows you to do more with a golf ball than if you don't have speed, and the best players in the world are going to have to have speed. So, there's no substitute.

“There is a point, in my opinion, of diminishing return at about 182 miles an hour ball speed, which is going to equate to about 122 miles an hour clubhead speed. You usually have about a 1.5 smash factor, 150 percent energy transfer. It's a little bit less the faster you swing the ball. But at 182 miles an hour ball speed with a driver, you start going faster than that, you start losing a little bit of control, and it almost has a diminishing return. That's why you'll find all the top guys right in that area.

“I was struggling to get to 170 miles an hour ball speed. For me, to hit 182, 183 now, I can do it at will. So, that doesn't hold me back. Now, what's holding me back are some of the other areas. Maybe my iron play hasn't been as great, my putting hasn't been as great, maybe my accuracy could be better. Well, that's not maybe, that could be. But those areas, I'm also addressing. But if I didn't have the speed to start with, it wouldn't even give me a fair chance. So, hitting bombs is flying the ball 315 and getting 182 ball speed with ideal launch conditions.”

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Who’s the low NFL quarterback going to be in this year’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am?

They could have their own division, with a half dozen current and former NFL QBs in the competition.

Actually, the better question this week might be: Who’s going to be the low Manning? Peyton and Eli are both in the competition, playing in the same foursome.

Though Peyton’s the slightly better player, based on their handicaps (8 vs. 10), Eli is 1 up on him in their golf trip competitions. It should be noted, however, that Peyton keeps score differently. 

Here’s how Peyton explained it to media last week, when asked about Eli’s retirement. His comments turned to the last golf trip the brothers made together.

“We were staying in the same room and my bed was kind of up against the corner, and I was taking a nap,” Peyton said. “And he jumps on top of me and gives me almost an atomic wedgie. And he had all the leverage. My shoulders were stuck in the corner. I couldn’t get out. I just had to take it.”

Peyton said he was still looking for revenge.

“I haven’t been able to get him back,” he said. “Maybe if we get a chance to play some more golf together, maybe I’ll have a chance to get him back. Right now, he’s still 1 up on me.”

No reports yet on whether the score’s been evened this trip, but the official golf competition begins Thursday. Peyton plays to an 8-handicap, Eli to a 10. The Manning brothers will be playing in the same foursome, with Peyton teamed with Luke Donald and Eli with Kevin Chappell.

Here’s how the current and former NFL QBs in the competition stack up, based on handicaps:

Tony Romo, 0.

Matt Ryan, 1.

Peyton Manning, 8.

Aaron Rodgers, 9.

Eli Manning, 10.

Steve Young, 14.

While the pro-am format isn’t a favorite for some PGA Tour pros who choose to bypass the event, Phil Mickelson and Graeme McDowell explained this week why they enjoy it so much, and why pros who skip it are missing out.

“Early in my career, I did miss it a few times, but as I got older I realized what an important event this is in developing relationships with a lot of the decision makers and key players in the game of golf, and developing these kind of emotional connections that lead to better decisions as far as supporting the game,” said Mickelson, a five-time winner at Pebble Beach. “It gets companies and CEOs more inclined to support the game of golf.”

Mickelson is playing alongside Young, the former 49ers quarterback, but he’s in the same group with Aneel Bhusri, the co-founder and CEO of Workday, one of Mickelson’s sponsors. In a Workday commercial, Mickelson comically plays a “business caddie,” helping an executive make corporate decisions.

“Now, it's not for everybody,” Mickelson says of the pro-am experience. “So, I understand when guys don't want to do it . . . But for me, I've always enjoyed it and actually have played some of my best golf when I'm partnered with very interesting players.”

Mickelson has played a lot with Jimmy Dunne, who was the sole surviving senior partner of Sandler O’Neill, an investment banking firm that was headquartered in the World Trade Center when it was destroyed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in 2001.

“There's nobody that I view more as an American hero than Jimmy Dunne, for what he did in dedicating profits from his company, following the 911 tragedy, whereby every other company in the World Trade Center followed suit,” Mickelson said. “I think he's led by example. There's nobody that I look up to or respect more in this entire country than Jimmy Dunne, and for me to have these days with him, to ask questions and spend time with him, is what brings out some of my best golf, because I'm having so much fun.”

McDowell noted the extraordinary nature of so many AT&T Pro-Am partners and Mickelson’s ability to draw energy from the experience.

“It's some of the most high-profile CEOs in America,” McDowell said. “It's weird to come into an event when you're potentially not the most important person there, and you're certainly not the wealthiest person in your group, by a long stretch. So, you're surrounded by successful people, and it's a great opportunity to meet other successful people, in other spaces.

“Listen, I get why guys don't like this event from the point of view that it's six-hour rounds, the weather can be a little dodgy here, for sure. There’s a lot of distractions here. So, you look at a guy like Phil, who has won here, what, five times? He gets it, and certainly hasn't struggled corporately in his career.

“I think a lot of that is down to the way he's able to embrace a week like this and take it for what it is. It's an important opportunity to connect with people, some of the most important people in business. Thankfully, I've always enjoyed it.”

Barcelona are hopeful of moving on from Tuesday's war of words between Lionel Messi and sporting director Eric Abidal after club president Josep Maria Bartomeu held clear-the-air talks with both men, sources have told ESPN.

- Stream Copa del Rey matches on ESPN+

Bartomeu returned early from an event with the European Union in Brussels on Wednesday for a two-hour meeting with Abidal and CEO Oscar Grau. He had earlier spoken with Messi on the phone on three separate occasions.

Sources have told ESPN that Messi assured Bartomeu he is happy to turn the page on the incident and focus on the club's targets on the pitch between now and the end of the season, when he will move into the final 12 months of his contract.

Similar conclusions were drawn from the president's meeting with Abidal and Grau. All three voiced their opinions on the exchange between Messi and Abidal before agreeing that the best thing to do is to pull together for the good of the club.

Abidal, who previously played alongside Messi at Camp Nou, will remain in his role as sporting director, despite reports earlier in the day he could either be sacked or resign.

The club had been pushed towards an institutional crisis on Tuesday when Messi took to Instagram to respond to comments made by Abidal in relation to the dismissal of former coach Ernesto Valverde, who was replaced by Quique Setien on Jan. 13.

Abidal had suggested player power played a part in Valverde's sacking, saying "many players weren't happy [with him], but they weren't working hard, either."

Messi objected to that claim. Sources have explained to ESPN that the Argentine forward feels he has often been made the scapegoat for decisions at the club that have nothing to do with him.

In response, he told Abidal to take responsibility for his own actions and urged him to name the players he was criticising. "If not, you're dirtying everyone's name," Messi wrote. Sources say the players supported Messi's outburst.

Abidal's position had already been weakened prior to his spat with Messi following a disastrous January transfer window. The club let a number of players leave, including forward Carles Perez, but failed to bring in a replacement for the injured Luis Suarez, despite very publicly courting Valencia's Rodrigo Moreno.

The failure to bring in another attacker was made to look even worse this week when winger Ousmane Dembele, who has not played since November, ruptured a tendon in his thigh in training. He's expected to miss the rest of the season.

Results on the pitch will now dictate whether harmony off the pitch can be maintained. New coach Setien's small squad -- there are just 16 first team players available for Thursday's Copa del Rey quarterfinal against Athletic Bilbao -- will be pushed to the limit this month as they continue to compete for three trophies.

After the Athletic match, they travel to Real Betis in La Liga on Sunday sitting three points behind leaders Real Madrid. They're also away at Napoli in the Champions League later in February.

Setien said on Wednesday that his job is to keep his players from getting distracted by events going on around the club. He also insisted that he has no regrets about taking the role on, despite the issues which have surfaced on and off the pitch during his first 23 days in charge.

Son Heung-Min's late penalty gave Tottenham Hotspur an entertaining 3-2 win over Southampton to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup.

- Stream FA Cup matches and replays on ESPN+

The South Korean star's goal from the spot in the 88th helped seal the replay win at Tottenham Stadium that saw the hosts rally after initially taking an early lead.

Spurs went up first in the 12th minute when Tanguy Ndombele's shot took a deflection off Saints defender Jack Stephens, which careened into the net for an unfortunate own goal.

Southampton nearly levelled seven minutes later but Danny Ings' shot to the top of the goal bounced off the crossbar.

The Saints' equaliser came in the 34th minute when Hugo Lloris pushed Nathan Redmond's low shot into Shane Long's path for a simple finish.

Ings then helped the visitors take the lead with clean finish at the end of a rapid break in the 72nd minute, but Lucas Moura put Spurs back into it six minutes later with a superb strike.

Son then drew the winner when Dele Alli set up him for a run into the box, forcing goalkeeper Angus Gunn to make just enough contact for the foul.

The winners now take on fellow Premier League counterparts Norwich City in the next round of the tournament.

Manchester City are monitoring Lionel Messi's public fall-out with Barcelona and believe they would be in the running if the Argentina star decides to leave Camp Nou, sources have told ESPN.

Messi has been involved in a row with Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal over his claims players forced the dismissal of coach Ernesto Valverde.

The 32-year-old reportedly has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave the club for free at the end of the season, although it is unclear whether he could join a Champions League rival like Manchester City. The Premier League holders privately admit his departure remains unlikely, but they would be interested if he decides to move either this summer or at the end of his current deal in 2021.

City maintain they would be at the head of the queue for Messi's signature because of his strong relationship with director of football Txiki Begiristain, chief executive Ferran Soriano and manager Pep Guardiola.

Together Messi and Guardiola won the Spanish title three times and the Champions League twice in four seasons at Camp Nou between 2008 and 2012. City are also one of only a handful of clubs who could afford Messi's wages of more £50 million a year.

Abidal, a former teammate of Messi's at Barcelona, said this week "a lot of players were not happy and did not work much" when discussing the sacking of Valverde.

It prompted Messi to hit back in a post on Instagram suggesting the Frenchman should name the players he felt had been involved in undermining the coach.

He wrote: "I honestly do not like to do this kind of thing but I think that everyone has to be responsible for their job and take responsibility for their decision.

"Players for what happens on the field, we are also the first to acknowledge when we don't play well."

Despite the acrimony on Tuesday, sources have told ESPN that Messi assured Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu on Wednesday that he is happy to turn the page on the incident and focus on the club's targets on the pitch between now and the end of the season, when he will move into the final 12 months of his contract.

Earlier on Wednesday, Valverede's replacement Quitue Setien was faced with a barrage of questions about how Messi's social media post could affect the team, who are three points behind Real Madrid at the top of La Liga and still in the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. He repeated that his only focus was the Athletic Bilbao game in the Copa del Rey on Thursday (streaming live at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+), although he said he had briefly spoken about Tuesday's incident with his squad.

"These things don't affect me," he added. "I try to make sure they don't affect my players, either.

"We spoke about it for one minute earlier but that was all. What interests me is football. At any club of this size, there are problems, but they are not things I can control."

Today is Neymar's birthday, and he's injured.

You're tempted to say "plus ca change" -- after all, he was sidelined this time last year too. And the year before that, although the injury came later this month. But it still robbed Paris Saint-Germain of their most influential player (and the most expensive player in the history of the sport) at the business end of the season, in the Champions League. It made all the difference, with PSG crashing out amidst controversy last season against Manchester United and, two years ago, against Real Madrid (on that occasion, he missed the return leg and PSG missed him).

Except it's a little different now. This injury is to his ribs and he's expected back very soon. If there is a curse, it hasn't set in yet.

In fact, view Neymar through something other than the usual lens provided by tattoos and top hats, hype and hysteria, bling and Barca, rainbow flicks and sister's birthdays and you just might find that he's arguably having the best season of his career.

It's not something you can measure in goals -- he has 15 in 18 outings, roughly in line with his output in his two previous seasons at PSG -- and it's not as if PSG are necessarily a far better side this year thanks to him: in Ligue 1 they're marginally behind the pace set in the past two campaigns and while they topped a Champions League group that included Real Madrid (just like they won their group in recent years), he was suspended for the first four match days.

In fact, an even more granular look at his numbers show that they're pretty much in line with most of his career, dating back to his Camp Nou days. His expected goals are up a little but otherwise, he's taking roughly the same number of shots (four per game) successfully dribbling the same number of opponents (around 5.5 a match), passing at the usual rate (around 79%) and, on the downside, losing the ball more than most players around (nearly eight turnovers per 90 minutes).

He just feels different. Like a guy who, at 28, is less consumed at being the next Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and more at peace with being the best Neymar he can be.

Maybe it's maturity. Maybe it's the realisation that those two guys, despite being well into their 30s, aren't going away any time soon, coupled with the fact that every day at training, he sees a guy named Kylian Mbappe with the skills to potentially leapfrog him once those two exit stage left. (Assuming they ever do: you wonder these days.)

Or maybe it's the fact that this season not just as a professional, but as a would-be messiah, he's now a bit over the role. At Santos, he was following in the footsteps of Pele. At Barca, he was the heir apparent to Messi. At PSG, he was the guy who was going to turn them into a global super club. And throughout, there was the parallel international thread that saw him tasked with delivering Brazil's World Cup on home soil and then getting a follow-up shot in Russia -- and that's before you get into his Copa America experiences.

It's not that Neymar can't deal with the pressure or attention of having nations -- both real and virtual, as in the fans of PSG Nation -- project their hopes and dreams on to his slight frame. Heck, he's not just lived with pressure from the age of 17, he's actively sought the limelight and embraced it, or, to paraphrase Frank Sinatra, he ate it up and spit it out.

It's just that from where Neymar is sitting in his career, maybe he can see the end of the road and just how quickly tomorrow closes in on you. Obsession can be a very useful driver (just ask Ronaldo), but if you don't have the right personality for it, it can take you to some dark places. Especially when it's the obsession of others. And so there's a relative moderation to the way he carries himself now, "relative" being the operative word.

This past weekend offered a neat snapshot of this. Neymar tore it up in PSG's 5-0 win over Montpellier, failing to score but dishing out a gem of an assist and otherwise delighting the Parc des Princes. He was upbraided by referee Jerome Brisard and later clashed with him in the tunnel (reportedly Brisard criticised him for showboating and for not addressing him in French) but equally, there was no fallout. It was Neymar being Neymar, and while the showboating doesn't sit well with some, he pushes it to the limit with which he's comfortable and not what others expect.

He even managed to have fun with it. Montpellier striker Andy Delort had called it "disrespectful" before the match and Neymar's postgame response was (obviously) via Instagram, posing with teammate Leandro Paredes and a signed Delort shirt with the message: "A hug to our friend."

He also picked up an injured rib in that game, perhaps a function of being fouled no fewer than nine times. Did it stop him from attending the white-themed birthday party he threw himself and where he was photographed in a top hat and with a lackey holding an umbrella over his head?

Did it heck. He still showed up and partied, but he made a point of making sure he was tucked in bed at a reasonable hour. His coach, Thomas Tuchel, said it wasn't "the best way to prepare for a match" but hey, you take the good with the bad. Whatever floats his boat (within reason). And a happy Neymar is a productive Neymar.

Having been the G.O.A.T. candidate-in-waiting for the past decade, Neymar is OK for others to handle the sceptre. Just as long as he can play, entertain and be the best possible version of himself. And he gets to decide what that looks like, not the tens of millions who've been determined to thrust greatness upon him from the time he made his debut at Santos all those years ago.

After going more than five years without committing an over-rate offence, India have now had to pay fines in three consecutive matches, the latest a whopping 80% of their match fee after being found four overs short of the target in the first ODI against New Zealand in Hamilton on Wednesday.

As per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20% of their fee for every over their side fails to bowl within the stipulated time.

Following the match, which India lost by four wickets, India captain Virat Kohli pleaded guilty to the charge - levelled by on-field umpires Shaun Haig and Langton Rusere, third umpire Bruce Oxenford, and fourth umpire Chris Brown - and accepted the sanction, meaning there was no need for a formal hearing.

It was in the fourth T20I of the five-match series in New Zealand that India's run of 264 international matches - since a Test match at The Oval in August 2014 - without falling foul of the law came to an end.

On that occasion, India were found to be two overs short of the target, and had to pay a 40% fine. Kohli was the captain for that match. Then, in the final fixture - Rohit Sharma led India with Kohli rested, but he too picked up an injury while batting, and KL Rahul led India during New Zealand's failed chase - India were an over short, and therefore paid a 20% fine.

Ever since his comeback into the Indian team after the 2019 World Cup, Shreyas Iyer has been among the most consistent batsmen in the side, flying under the radar perhaps given the exploits of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul.

In nine ODIs since August 2019, when Iyer returned to the team, he has averaged 53, with a strike rate of 104.95 (the best among Indians who have faced at least 100 balls since then). In 16 T20Is in the same period, Iyer has an average of 33.40 at a strike rate of 138.01. He is placed third and fourth on the highest run-scorers' lists for ODIs and T20Is respectively since August, and quietly, Iyer has become an important member of a batting line-up he couldn't break into just a year ago.

Iyer has always had confidence in himself, so when his first ODI century didn't result in a win for India, he was unperturbed.

"I am very happy but if it had ended on a winning note I would have been even happier. But it's the first of many, so I'll take it in my stride and see to it that in the next matches, I finish on the winning side," Iyer said at the press conference after India's four-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the first ODI on Wednesday.

That India lost despite putting on a mighty 347 for 4 didn't cause any undue angst within the side.

"We just sat and everybody was in their own zone. It didn't matter to be honest. It's just a loss and we have faced that before as well in our life," Iyer said. "It's not that we are facing it for the first time. So everybody is in their normal zone and it's not something that hasn't happened before. We've got that confidence in our team and in ourselves that we are going to bounce back strong. We have done in the past, so we've just got to take the positives from this game and move forward."

"It's just a loss and we have faced that before as well in our life. We've got that confidence in our team and in ourselves that we are going to bounce back strong." SHREYAS IYER

Iyer gave credit to New Zealand's batsmen for hunting down a tall target, while also explaining how the surface at Seddon Park in Hamilton had changed as the game went on. Iyer's own innings started slowly; he took 10 balls to get off the mark and he was on 11 off 28 at one point, having joined Kohli with India 54 for 2 in the ninth over. He eventually ended with 103 off 107, and shared stands of 102 for the third wicket and 136 for the fourth wicket in under 17 overs, with Rahul.

"The pitch had become very good in the second innings. It was coming onto the bat and the dew factor also played an important role in this game," Iyer said. "They batted really well, so credit has to definitely go to them for the chase.

"It (the ball) was stopping and coming," he said about batting in the first innings. "There was a variable bounce on the wicket, so we (Kohli and he) just decided that we need to take this phase and build a partnership. I'm really glad we took that situation completely out and had a partnership of 100, me and Virat. That set up momentum for the next batsman who came in and we ended up scoring 348 (347) which is a really good total. I'm really happy the way I planned my innings. I was keeping patient and I had that self-belief that once I cross a certain mark, I'll be able to cover all the balls I played as dots.

"Talking about KL Rahul, he's been batting magnificently well. The way he's seeing the ball… the time he came in and hit his first six, I literally asked him on the field, 'Are you seeing the ball like a football?' He just nodded and laughed. He's been in tremendous touch and there's lots to learn from him as well, as a batsman, the way he really plans his innings and then takes on the bowler."

Iyer also defended India's fielding, which has seen several lapses and dropped chances on the tour of New Zealand, both in T20Is and the lone ODI so far.

"Everybody goes through a bad day," he said. "I personally feel we are a very good fielding side, and we have to try and hit the target (stumps) so that we create that momentum on the field. We need to cheer up the bowlers and all the fielders have be there in the game. So all these overthrows and all, it's part of the game because the bowlers keep thinking of what they'll bowl the next ball, and at the same time, it's the fielders' responsibility to back up obviously.

"There are one or two instances that happened in the previous game, there's a lot to learn from that. Obviously we are working hard on our fielding, it's not that we are just giving up on the field. Even if you see that there are some places we need to improve, we have been doing really well. We have taken some amazing catches and run-outs in this game."