VISAKHAPATNAM, OCTOBER 29 : A five-wicket haul by Amit Mishra coupled with half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma saw India thrash New Zealand by 190 runs in the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) here on Saturday.
Chasing a target of 270 runs, New Zealand collapsed for a mere 79 with Mishra returning figures of 5/18. This was the second five-wicket haul for Mishra, who took home the man of the match award. The leg-spinner was also adjudged the man of the series for a total haul of 15 wickets over the five ODIs.
India thus won the five-match series 3-2. Among the other Indian bowlers, Axar Patel notched up figures of 2/9 in his 4.1 overs while Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and debutant Jayant Yadav picked up a wicket each.
Earlier, half-centuries by Kohli and Rohit helped India post a decent total of 269/6. Both Kohli and Rohit were off to slow starts before going for the big shots once they got their eye in.
Kohli scored 65 runs off 76 deliveries with two boundaries and a six while Rohit smashed five boundaries and three hits into the stands on his way to a 65-ball 70. Leg-spinner Inderbir Singh Sodhi and pacer Trent Boult bagged a couple of wickets each for New Zealand. James Neesham and Mitchell Santner claimed a wicket each.
Opener Ajinkya Rahane brought India's first runs on the board with a boundary through the off-side. The second boundary came in similar fashion as the right-hander clobbered a widish delivery from Boult.
However, just like in the earlier matches of the series, Rahane could not build on a good start as he hit a Neesham delivery to Tom Latham at short midwicket to return to the pavilion with a 39-ball 20.
Rohit Sharma was off to a slow start before getting into his groove with a six over long-off off James Nisham. Rohit was lucky to be handed a reprieve when on 66 when he was dropped by Ross Taylor at short midwicket off Neesham's bowling.
The Mumbai batsman could not however, make too much use of the opportunity as he was soon dismissed after mistiming a pull off Boult's bowling. Santner trapped Dhoni leg before with a beautiful delivery.
Manish Pandey lasted all of four balls before holing out with a loose shot. Kohli followed him to the dressing room soon after while trying to go after Sodhi. The Indian vice-captain came down the track to Sodhi's half-volley but only managed to find Martin Guptill at long-off.
Kedar Jadhav and Axar Patel produced a 46-run stand off 39 balls to give some late momentum to the hosts' innings. Jadhav scored 39 off 37 deliveries with two boundaries and a six. Patel smashed 24 runs off 18 balls before being bowled by an accurate yorker by Boult.
In reply, the New Zealand innings suffered a setback in the very first over when Yadav bowled opener Martin Guptill with a beautiful delivery that uprooted the off-stump. Bumrah accounted for the other Kiwi opener Tom Latham as an attempted flick through midwicket took the leading edge and found debutant Jayant Yadav at mid-on.
Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor tried to stem the rot with a 35-run partnership. But the visitors ran into trouble when Williamson, Taylor and Bradley-John Watling departed in quick succession. Yadav notched up the distinction of claiming a wicket on his ODI debut when he trapped Corey Anderson leg before. Mishra then dismissed James Neesham and Tim Southee in the 20th over to leave the Kiwis reeling at 74/8. An Indian victory was only a matter of time from there.
