India vs New Zealand 5th ODI: India win by 22 runs, take series 3-1

India defended 209 at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, 15 November, bowling New Zealand out for 187 in 48.1 overs to win the India vs New Zealand 5th ODI by 22 runs and the five-match series 3-1. Arshdeep Singh took 3 for 30 from his 10 overs. Axar Patel, whose 46 had held the batting together, closed the game with two late wickets. Play began at 7.30 am IST and the last wicket fell at 3.22 pm IST.

Sent in by Mitchell Santner, India were 34 for 3 after 8.1 overs. Matt Fisher had Rohit Sharma caught for 7 and Virat Kohli for 5, and Ruturaj Gaikwad was caught behind off Jacob Duffy for 18. Captain Shreyas Iyer (22) and Axar put on 52 for the fourth wicket before Blair Tickner removed Iyer.

Axar and Kishan rebuild

Axar’s 46 came from 55 balls with five fours and a six. Ishan Kishan made the same score from 58 balls, with three fours and two sixes, and Naman Dhir added 22. Santner then took out Dhir, Auqib Nabi and debutant Yash Thakur as India slid from 160 for 5 to 166 for 8; he finished with 3 for 47. Arshdeep struck two sixes in a four-ball 14, Mohammed Siraj was unbeaten on 14, and India were all out for 209 in 42.1 overs. Duffy took 3 for 60.

New Zealand reached 26 without loss before Siraj had Tim Seifert caught for 14 in the sixth over. Arshdeep bowled Nick Kelly for 24 after removing Will Young for 22. Michael Bracewell (19) and top-scorer Dean Foxcroft (31) then fell on successive balls, leaving the hosts 119 for 6 after 31.1 overs and 91 short.

Santner’s stand ends at 158

Santner (24 from 31 balls, with two sixes) and Kristian Clarke (16) took the score to 158 before Dhir’s off-spin ended the captain’s innings. Axar had Duffy caught by Kohli at 181 and stumped Tickner for 14 at 187 to finish with 2 for 28. Siraj took 2 for 50, and Thakur 1 for 38 on his ODI debut.

Two days earlier, on Friday, 13 November, India had been bowled out for 89 at the same ground and lost by 244 runs, which left the series decider to settle the trophy. India had won the first two matches on the DLS method, in Auckland on 4 November and in Wellington on 7 November, and the third in Hamilton on 10 November was abandoned. The two-Test series between the sides starts at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Thursday, 19 November.