Even Blackcaps man of the moment Tom Latham was left slightly flummoxed by his match-turning innings in the first one-day international against India at Auckland.
With the contest evenly poised, Latham joined captain Kane Williamson at the crease, where the pair put on an unbeaten stand of 221 to steer their side past India's total of 306/7, with seven wickets and just under three overs remaining.
Latham's share of that fourth-wicket partnership was a magnificent 145 from just 104 balls, which included 24 boundaries (19 fours, five sixes), while his skipper anchored the other end with 94 off 98.
Latham became the first New Zealander to be a part of three 200-run plus partnerships in ODIs.
"I'm not really sure where that came from," Latham said of his knock.
"Obviously being in the position when I came into bat, just try and absorb a little bit of pressure, and take it deep on a ground with some unique dimensions, you can score quite quickly, so [we] also managed to build a decent partnership and get across the line, which is nice."
The definitive moment at Eden Park came in the 40th over. The Blackcaps had wickets in hand, but had been gradually slipping behind the required run rate, which Latham quickly rectified by splattering Shardul Thakur to the boundary in a devastating 25-run over.
Thakur had conceded just 15 runs through his previous seven overs, but was sent for a six, then four consecutive fours to the legside fence. The Blackcaps went from staring at an equation of 91 off 66 balls to just 66 off 60 balls and their procession to victory began.
The one single in between that flurry of boundaries saw Latham raise his seventh ODI century, which he greeted with a yelp of satisfaction and an understated fist bump, eclipsing his previous highest score of 140no against Netherlands back in April.
"I was just reacting to what was being bowled," Latham insisted. "It wasn't a conscious effort to try to target that over.
"When it was slightly shorter, I was trying to use the pace and target those shorter boundaries, and I was just trying to react and it paid off.
"For me, it was about trying and being busy, and hit the ball in the gap and run hard. The asking rate was hanging around seven-eight an over, and we said if we try and keep it below eight, then we can give ourselves a chance at the back end.
"There was a little bit of turn there from Washington [Sundar] and he bowled really nicely, so it was about absorbing that pressure and when you get the scoring opportunity, just try and put them away.
"Obviously, the deeper we took it, you can score quite quickly out here and that's what we did."
The knock was a continuation of Latham's glittering ODI record against India. Through 17 innings, he's amassed two centuries and five fifties at an average of just over 65 runs.
"You do your scouting of your bowlers and I've played India a fair bit recently, so I have the understanding of what their bowlers are trying to do to me, but also trying to stick to my strengths as well and just play the situations."
The 30-year-old will look to keep that ball rolling in the second of the three-match series at Hamilton on Sunday.
Join us at 2:30pm, Sunday for live updates of the second ODI between the Blackcaps and India
