WI vs NZ 5th ODI Results

2:58 AM IST New Zealand secure series victory - New Zealand clinch the 5-match ODI series 3-2 after a highly competitive campaign in the Caribbean, even though the West Indies claimed ultimate bragging rights by winning a thrilling fifth and final match. While Shai Hope's men will take immense confidence from their resilient, match-winning run chase to finish on a high note, it is Mitchell Santner's NZ who fly home with the silverware. Thank you for joining us. Cheers!

2:53 AM IST New Zealand captain - Mitchell Santner reflects on yet another great, closely contested game in what has been a highly competitive series. While acknowledging that his team fell just short of a victory today, Santner praises his bowlers for fighting back valiantly to drag the match deep. He explains that recent squad rotation is a natural result of their dense playing schedule, leaving the team in a strong position to build depth. Noting that West Indies pitches are slower than the decks back home, he points out that winning the toss is crucial in these conditions, though he smiles at the welcome sight of plenty of turn. Santner lauds the impact of Lennox, noting his long-term domestic success in New Zealand and his clear role of attacking the stumps, while also praising Gudakesh Motie for an outstanding series performance.

2:50 AM IST POTS - Jayden Lennox wins the Player Of The Series. Jayden Lennox took 11 wickets in the series. Lennox expresses deep enjoyment in playing on spin-friendly pitches, noting that the entire tour serves as an excellent learning experience. Jayden Lennox highlights the value of studying the craft of left-arm orthodox bowling from teammate Mitchell Santner, who has executed it successfully for a long time. While he feels there is no single magical secret to his recent success, he considers himself fortunate to perform well.

2:49 AM IST West Indies captain - Shai Hope highlights the fighting spirit his team displayed throughout the series, while identifying a pressing need for much greater consistency, a quality he notes has been missing in recent campaigns. He urges his squad to put together a complete game by pointing back to missed opportunities during the matches in Guyana. Looking back at his own recent performances, he points out that a costly dropped catch in the previous game and his own lack of runs were critical moments where they let the opposition off the hook.

2:43 AM IST POTM - Shimron Hetmyer wins the Player Of The Match award for his knock of 69 off 64 balls. Shimron Hetmyer expresses immense satisfaction, emphasizing that personal milestones like scoring a half-century were completely out of his mind. Shimron reveals that the team's continuous strategy was simply to stay at the crease and wait for deliveries in their hitting zones without overthinking. He credits their success to calculated shot selection and a crucial middle-order partnership, during which he advised his incoming partner to just focus on the ball.

2:36 AM IST Presentation ...