India take series after bowlers defend 209 in 5th ODI vs New Zealand

Batters fail once again but seamers eke out 22-run win in fifth ODI to give India 3-1 series victory

Bowlers once again came to India’s rescue in a low scoring fifth ODI at Mount Maunganui, helping the visitors win by 22 runs and snap New Zealand’s unbeaten home streak spanning seven years and 11 consecutive bilateral ODI series.

Arshdeep Singh takes three wickets as India defeat New Zealand by 22 runs (AFP)

Chasing a seemingly easy target of 209, New Zealand were pegged back by India’s pace quartet of Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi and debutant Yash Thakur who shared seven wickets among them.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner held off India with a valiant 24 off 31 balls but was caught off the golden arm of Naman Dhir before the rest of the lower order was dismissed with 11 balls remaining.

After the quick, debasing defeat on Friday, this turned out to be a slow burn victory for India. The journey has been pretty though, particularly how India’s batting found contrasting ways to undermine their collective strength. Imploding for 89 in pursuit of 334 on Friday, crawling to 209 on Sunday, both innings were summarily bad — unsettling even — inferences on India’s batting, a damning verdict after how the home series against West Indies misled India into thinking they had their house in order.

They don’t, not at least by the standards set by perennial competitors New Zealand in conditions that are expected to be replicated in South Africa this time next year. Two ODIs won by the bowlers, before New Zealand finally laid down the gauntlet with a chase where India lasted just 26.4 overs.

Batting first on Sunday, India did marginally well by lasting 42.1 overs. This, despite no sea change in India’s batting personnel. Not if India think KL Rahul needs to anchor every innings. For that would definitely impair the fervour with which India have tried to hold on to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Kohli can’t be expected to steer every chase, and it’s been a while India have looked at ease setting a target away from home.

The fifth ODI, by the way, marked the second instance of India getting bundled out for under 225 twice in an ODI series since the 2015 World Cup. The first time was in Sri Lanka two years ago, in what was also Gautam Gambhir’s first white-ball series as head coach. Between then and now, India haven’t played many one-dayers but on current evidence, they may have ended this series with more questions than answers.

Kohli would no doubt be peeved with himself after chasing an eighth stump delivery from Matthew Fisher but Rohit’s struggle — 7 off 13 balls, capping a dismal series run of 0, 23 and 0 in New Zealand — is too real to ignore. Rohit is fitter and has scored hundreds at Lord’s and Guwahati.

But on surfaces where he should have made his experience count, Rohit hasn’t delivered. Which isn’t to say he won’t in future. And frankly, there’s enough scope for him to reverse this trend in the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. But bilateral superiority would count for little in an ICC tournament where continuity matters.

The only reason this match extended to where it did was because of the bowlers. Between Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh, India added 28 runs from 24 balls after Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel each hit 46 to take the innings past 175.

Before that, Shreyas Iyer and Patel added 52 for the fourth wicket. Till the time they were together, India looked set to get over the hump after losing Rohit, Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the span of 16 deliveries. But it turned out to be yet another flat outing with Kishan and Patel failing to convert their tedious starts into big knocks after Iyer fell once again to the short ball — pulling Blair Tickner to mid-on.

India bowled disciplined lines, making New Zealand unusually edgy in their chase. Siraj provided the early breakthrough, removing Tim Seifert in the sixth over with a mistimed heave to mid-on. Arshdeep then struck twice in quick succession, dismissing Will Young with a well-judged catch at deep backward square-leg before bowling Nick Kelly with one that nipped back in.

Siraj further dented New Zealand's hopes by breaching Finn Allen's defence in the 22nd over before Nabi and Thakur delivered crucial blows in the form of Michael Bracewell and Dean Foxcroft. Santner dragged the game but India kept bowling in the right areas to eke out a special win.