Mount Maunganui, Nov 15 (IANS) India’s fast-bowling attack was at its best, defending a modest 209 and beating New Zealand by 22 runs in the fifth and final ODI at the Bay Oval on Sunday. The result also meant India clinched the series 3-1 and handed New Zealand their first home ODI series defeat in seven years. India also got their first ODI series victory under head coach Gautam Gambhir in overseas conditions. 

Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers, sticking to a stump-to-stump line and returning 3-30 while troubling the batters with seam movement, while Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel took two wickets each. Auqib Nabi, Naman Dhir and debutant pacer Yash Thakur each took a wicket as New Zealand were bowled out for 187 in 48.1 overs.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer also used his pacers well and admirably backed them to get the job done. It was a bowling effort that rescued a batting display in which Rohit Sharma and Kohli both fell for single digits. Axar and Ishan Kishan made 46 each, but the 26 runs from the last-wicket pair of Siraj and Arshdeep proved decisive.

New Zealand began their chase by hitting three boundaries before Siraj, playing his first game of the series, struck in the sixth over when Seifert heaved across the line and was caught by mid-on for 14. Nabi found late movement away from the bat and bowled a maiden in the ninth over. Nick Kelly punished some loose deliveries from Siraj, but Arshdeep struck twice - Ruturaj Gaikwad slid on his elbows to hold a fine catch at deep backward square-leg to dismiss Will Young for 22, while Kelly chopped onto his stumps off him on 24.

Siraj then rattled Finn Allen’s top of off-stump to leave the hosts in trouble at 83/4. India, though, fumbled twice in the middle overs - Virat Kohli put down a sitter at second slip off Foxcroft, and Thakur dropped a return chance from Michael Bracewell. But Nabi’s bouncer eventually had Bracewell caught at deep square leg for 19.

Thakur then took his maiden ODI wicket on the very next ball, dismissing Foxcroft for 31 and leaving New Zealand at 119/6. Thakur had a mixed outing, flicking the stumps in his delivery stride three times, resulting in no-balls being registered against his name, but he finished with 1-38.

Santner played some shots to keep New Zealand in the hunt before his slog-sweep off was caught by deep mid-wicket, and he fell for 24. Kristian Clarke edged behind to Kishan off Arshdeep, while Axar closed the game when he had Jacob Duffy caught at long-on and got Blair Tickner stumped for 14 to get a memorable win for India.

Previously, Jacob Duffy and skipper Mitchell Santner took three wickets each as India were bowled out for 209 in 42.1 overs. While Santner aced his subtle changes in pace to pick 3-47, Duffy was very effective in picking 3-60. Matthew Fisher took two wickets, while Blair Tickner and Michael Bracewell, playing in his 50th ODI, each claimed one wicket.

India had a sedate start as they made 20 runs in the first three overs, before Fisher struck in the sixth over when Rohit Sharma flicked a length ball straight to mid-wicket for 7. It capped a miserable series for Rohit, who scored only 30 runs, two of them being ducks.

Fisher then had Virat Kohli dismissed for 5, a short ball outside off stump slashed up behind to Tim Seifert. Duffy’s first wicket came when his wobble-seam ball nipped back in and took Ruturaj Gaikwad’s inside edge, and Seifert dived to his left to hold it and sent him back for 18.

Axar Patel and Shreyas Iyer then dug in to rebuild India’s innings with a 52-run stand, helped by two reprieves. Foxcroft put down a hard chance at mid-wicket off Axar, and Finn Allen dropped Iyer at slip off Duffy. Tickner got the breakthrough in the 18th over when the short ball tempted Iyer into a pull that went to mid-on, as the skipper left for 22.

Michael Bracewell then dismissed Axar for 46, catching him at mid-wicket, as India slipped to 121/5 after 25 overs. Varying his pace, Santner drew a false stroke from Naman Dhir, who was caught at deep cover for 22 after adding 39 runs with Ishan Kishan. Auqib Nabi was caught at cover, while Yash Thakur made a duck on debut, edging to Seifert.

Vice-captain Kishan kept the innings alive with two sixes off Duffy in the 39th over, but the bowler had the last laugh in the 41st over when the left-hander top-edged a short delivery to third man and fell for 46 off 58 balls.

Arshdeep Singh smacked Duffy for two sixes off three balls, and Mohammed Siraj hit Santner for a six to push India beyond 200. But Duffy signed off with a three-for through a slower ball that castled Arshdeep for 14. After that, despite being fancied to ace the chase, New Zealand’s batting effort was inadequate to save them from a home series defeat.

Brief Scores: India 209 in 42.1 overs (Axar Patel 46, Ishan Kishan 46; Mitchell Santner 3-47, Jacob Duffy 3-60) beat New Zealand 187 all out in 48.1 overs (Dean Foxcroft 31, Mitchell Santner 24; Arshdeep Singh 3-30, Axar Patel 2-28) by 22 runs.