India bowlers rescue batting unit to seal 3-1 ODI series win

Mount Maunganui: Pacers Mohammad Siraj and Arshdeep Singh struck early with disciplined spells as India recovered from an underwhelming batting performance to register a 22-run win over New Zealand in the fifth and final ODI here on Sunday, clinching the series 3-1.

The Shreyas Iyer-led side secured the series to successfully complete the white-ball leg of the tour of New Zealand after winning the preceding T20I series 3-2. The defeat brought an end to New Zealand’s streak of 11 consecutive series wins on home soil.

The victory will also give Shreyas some breathing room after his struggles with the bat across the white-ball series, during which he managed just one half-century in nine innings.

Chasing a modest target of 210, New Zealand struggled to build momentum, partly due to the Indian pacers’ superb lines and partly because of their own tentative approach.

Arshdeep (3/30) and Siraj (2/50) were in top form as New Zealand were bowled out for 187 in response to India’s 209.

The ball did a little more under the lights than it had in the first innings, while the pitch also offered some natural bounce.

However, that did not justify the cautious approach of the usually free-flowing New Zealand openers, Tim Seifert and Will Young.

Seifert was denied room, and his attempt to force the pace during the Powerplay against Siraj resulted in a simple catch for debutant Yash Thakur.

Young’s struggles came to an end when Arshdeep’s back-of-a-length delivery forced him into an awkward pull shot. Ruturaj Gaikwad made no mistake in the field.

From that point, the New Zealand batters struggled to stitch together a match-defining partnership. Soon, Arshdeep dismissed Nick Kelly, while Siraj removed the dangerous Finn Allen with a superb delivery that moved back just enough to hit the top of the off stump.

The hosts were 83 for four in the 22nd over. The situation could have been even worse for them, but the Indians dropped chances to dismiss both Dean Foxcroft and Michael Bracewell, who added 38 runs for the fifth wicket.

However, India pegged New Zealand back by dismissing Bracewell and Foxcroft within two overs, reducing them to 119 for six in the 32nd over.

Skipper Mitchell Santner and Kristian Clarke kept the hosts afloat with a 39-run stand for the seventh wicket, the highest partnership of the innings.

Santner clobbered spinners Axar Patel and Naman Dhir for a six each. However, Dhir had the last laugh, dismissing Santner after his slog sweep found Arshdeep in the deep.

It was an uphill task for New Zealand from there.

Earlier, India’s batting performance had also been marked by nervousness and anxious shot selection.

The visitors were expected to put up a better fight after being bowled out for 89 in the fourth ODI at this venue a couple of days earlier.

A fruitful opening partnership was essential, but Matthew Fisher dashed those hopes by dismissing Rohit Sharma early.

Rohit’s lean run in the series continued as his half-hearted chip off Fisher ended in the hands of Foxcroft at short midwicket.

Virat Kohli departed soon after but was somewhat unlucky as his cut off a wide delivery from Fisher was caught by a diving wicketkeeper Seifert.

Gaikwad too did not last long. He attempted to drive Jacob Duffy, but the ball seamed back, took an inside edge and carried through to Seifert.

India slipped to 34 for three, and the score could have been 34 for four had Foxcroft held on to a chance at cover after Axar played an uppish drive off Duffy.

Shreyas and Axar (46) added 52 runs for the fourth wicket to help India stage a mini-recovery.

However, Blair Tickner broke the partnership as Shreyas fell to another short-pitched delivery.

Bracewell soon ended Axar’s resistance as the left-hander pulled the off-spinner straight into Young’s hands inside the circle.

Ishan Kishan (46), who hit two sixes off Duffy in one over, and Dhir (22) tried to revive the Indian innings with a 39-run stand for the sixth wicket. However, New Zealand skipper Santner (3/47) intervened.

The seasoned left-arm spinner dismissed Dhir, leaving India reliant on its lower-order batters.

Kishan eventually fell to Duffy while attempting to accelerate the scoring.

India were in danger of failing to cross the 200-run mark, but some powerful strokes from Arshdeep Singh and Siraj helped the team go past the total.