India clinched the title for the 5-match ODI series against New Zealand by 22 runs at Bay Oval on Sunday. After winning the toss, New Zealand chose to bowl and Rohit Sharma went for 7, Virat Kohli for 5 and Ruturaj Gaikwad for 18, leaving India at 34 for 3.
The match caught pace after Aksar Patel and Ishan Kishan took to the fields. Akshar made 46 off 55 balls while Kishan secured 46 of 58. Shreyas Iyer chipped in with 22 and Naman Dhir added another 22. It was Arshdeep Singh’s 2 sixes in a four-ball 14 and Mohammad Siraj stayed not out on 14 that helped India seal the victory.
India were bowled out for 209 in 42.1 overs with 7 wides among the 10 extras. Mitchell Santner and Jacob Duffy took 3 wickets each for New Zealand. Duffy gave away 60 runs in 8.1 overs. Matthew Fisher took 2. Dean Foxcrott carved New Zealand’s best score at 31.
Santner and Nicholas Kelly got 24 each, while Will Young made 22 before Arshdeep dismissed him. Arshdeep finished with 3 for 30 from his 10 overs. Aksar took 2 wickets in 6.1 overs for 28 runs and Siraj also took two. Yash Thakur, Auqib Nabi and Dhir picked up 1 each. The last wicket fell in the 49th over with New Zealand all out for 187 in 48.1 overs.
Previously in January, New Zealand won a 3-match ODI series in India, their first bilateral ODI series win in the country. India are now the first team this decade to beat New Zealand in ODI series on New Zealand soil.