Black Caps bowler Matt Henry has gone in to bat for teammate Daryl Mitchell, who has come under fire for his post-match comments in the aftermath of New Zealand’s three-wicket loss to Australia.

As the Black Caps eyed a first home test victory over Australia since 1993, an unbeaten 98 to wicketkeeper Alex Carey as part of a 61-run partnership with captain Pat Cummins denied New Zealand, who couldn’t defend 279 at Hagley Oval.

However, speaking immediately after the match, Mitchell outlined the defeat was secondary for the Black Caps, who instead will take pride in the manner in which they competed.

“For us, we’ve always said as Black Caps, we’re not defined by the outcomes,” Mitchell said on Monday. “We’re defined by how we play cricket and, hopefully, how we inspire our country to play the game.

“We are really proud of the efforts that we did throughout the Test.

Those comments did not go down well with New Zealand greats, though, such as former captain Jeremy Coney and former wicketkeeper Ian Smith.

“Give me a break. [You do it] to win,” said Coney. “Winning is actually the key to it all, [and] you don’t have to be a sportsman for that, either.”

“I’m going to take two or three deep breaths here and then still say, I don’t believe I just heard a New Zealand cricketer say ‘We’re not defined by the outcomes’, of a Test match against Australia,” added Smith.

“I don’t understand that. I simply don’t, and I hope it was just a mistake to be perfectly honest.”

In particular, Mitchell’s remarks have drawn comparison to the rhetoric of Brendon McCullum and England’s Ben Stokes, who were heavily criticised for claiming a “moral victory” in a 2-2 Ashes series draw to Australia last year.

Former Black Caps wicketkeeper Ian Smith wasn't afraid to make his feelings known about Daryl Mitchell's comments. Photo / Photosport

But for Henry, who was named player of the series for his 17 wickets across two tests, including 7/67 in Australia’s first innings at Hagley Oval, Mitchell’s comments have been misconstrued.

“We knew what Daryl was trying to say,” said Henry. “It’s never easy facing the media straight after a loss like that.

“You look at Daryl as a player, and how well he’s done, he’s one of the most competitive guys I know.

“He’s put our side in so many winning situations over the years.”

And while Henry agrees with Mitchell on the way the Black Caps played the game over the four days in Christchurch, the result doesn’t sit well.

“As a group, we’re obviously playing a test match, and trying to make our country proud,” he added.

“We want to play the best cricket we possibly can. We’re out there to try and win those moments.

“Unfortunately, yesterday we had a partnership between Carey and [Mitchell] Marsh that we just couldn’t quite break.

“It was disappointing not to get over the line, but at the same time, there are some positives to take out of the game. Ben Sears, [in] the first game Will O’Rourke.

“But at the same time [it was] very disappointing.”

Defeat had the Black Caps drop to third in the World Test Championship standings.

New Zealand now sit third in the race for a top-two finish, with three wins and three losses from their six tests played, for a win percentage of exactly 50.

India lead the standings, with six wins, two losses and a draw from their nine tests — a win percentage of 68.51.

The win moved Australia into second place overall, with eight wins from 12 tests, along with three draws and a loss, and a win percentage of 62.5, despite a 10-point deduction for a slow over rate.