Outplayed in the fourth cricket one-dayer, Indian pace spearhead Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Thursday said the eight-wicket loss to New Zealand is a "reality check" for the team ahead of the remainder of the series. India's much-vaunted batting was dismissed for its seventh lowest ODI total -- 92 in 30.5 overs in the fourth ODI as New Zealand tasted success in the five-ODI series for the first time after already conceding the rubber.

"If you look at the cricket we have been playing in the last few months, we have played good cricket and such matches come after some time. So it is a kind of reality check what we can do and improve in the next matches," Bhuvneshwar said. "We were confident after winning the series but things didn't go our way. I don't want to take credit away from these guys (New Zealand bowlers). They bowled really well and outplayed us." After the fifth and final ODI at Wellington on Sunday, India will play three T20 Internationals against New Zealand starting February 6. Seamers Trent Boult (5/21) and Colin de Grandhomme (3/26) exploited the swinging conditions to perfection to make life difficult for the Indian batsmen.