India Clinch ODI Series in New Zealand With 22-Run Win in Decider
India Clinch ODI Series in New Zealand With 22-Run Win in Decider
India’s bowlers defended a modest total of 209 to beat New Zealand by 22 runs in the fifth and final one-day international at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, sealing a 3-1 series victory — India’s first bilateral ODI series win on New Zealand soil in seven years.
Chasing 210, the hosts were bowled out for 187 in 48.1 overs. Arshdeep Singh led the attack with 3 for 30 from his 10 overs and was named Player of the Match, while every Indian bowler took at least one wicket in a disciplined collective display.
Bowlers rescue India after another batting failure
India’s batting struggled for the second successive match at the same venue. Asked to bat first after New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and chose to bowl, the visitors slumped to 34 for 3. Rohit Sharma fell for 7 and Virat Kohli for 5, with Kohli dismissed off a brilliant catch by New Zealand wicketkeeper Tim Seifert, and Ruturaj Gaikwad made 18.
Stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer added impetus alongside Axar Patel but fell to a short ball before India reached 100. Axar Patel and Ishan Kishan then rebuilt with 46 runs each, but New Zealand’s spinners kept control in the middle overs — Santner took 3 for 47 and Michael Bracewell 1 for 35 — and India were bowled out for 209 in 42.1 overs. Jacob Duffy took 3 for 60.
The win was a sharp response to the fourth ODI at the same ground, when New Zealand had thrashed India by 244 runs in the fourth ODI after bowling the visitors out for just 89.
Arshdeep leads the defence of 209
New Zealand’s chase began badly. Mohammed Siraj struck early to remove Seifert for 14 with the score on 26, and with India’s pacers getting the ball to move, scoring against the new ball was far from easy. Siraj, back in the ODI squad, also claimed the key wicket of Finn Allen.
Dean Foxcroft top-scored for the hosts with 31, and Santner added 24, but no New Zealand batter built a match-winning innings. Arshdeep’s three wickets broke the back of the chase, Siraj finished with 2 for 50, and Axar Patel took 2 for 28, wrapping up the win by removing Duffy and Blair Tickner. Kishan’s sharp stumping of Tickner sealed the 22-run victory.
A series win seven years in the making
The result ended New Zealand’s remarkable run of 11 consecutive bilateral ODI series victories at home, a streak stretching back to India’s last visit in 2019. India became the first team this decade to inflict a home ODI series defeat on New Zealand.
The series had swung sharply throughout. India won the first ODI in Auckland by five wickets and the second in Wellington by four runs, both settled by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. The third ODI in Hamilton was abandoned because of rain, and New Zealand roared back in the fourth ODI with a record 244-run win before India held their nerve in the decider.
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It was also India’s first ODI series victory under head coach Gautam Gambhir in overseas conditions, and it came with a depleted side. Regular captain Shubman Gill and KL Rahul missed the final matches, Jasprit Bumrah was rested for the whole series, and Iyer led the team in the decider. Young pacer Gurnoor Brar was named Player of the Series after taking nine wickets in three games.
Why this matters
The series win matters for more than the scoreline. India had already won the T20I leg of the tour 3-2, and the ODI triumph confirms the depth of a squad that won a series decider without its captain, its first-choice wicketkeeper-batter and its premier fast bowler.
The bowling attack, rather than the star batting, won the deciding match — a useful sign with the 2027 World Cup on the horizon. At the same time, the batting remains a concern. Rohit managed only 30 runs in four innings across the series, and Kohli totalled 86 runs, with both senior batters failing again in the decider. Those numbers will keep the spotlight on India’s top order heading into the Test leg of the tour.
Latest developments
The teams now move on to the Test series, with the first Test starting on November 19 in Wellington. India remain No. 1 in the ICC men’s ODI team rankings with 116 rating points after the series win, according to Wisden.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the score in the fifth ODI between India and New Zealand?
India scored 209 all out in 42.1 overs and bowled New Zealand out for 187 in 48.1 overs, winning by 22 runs at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, November 15.
Who was the Player of the Match in the fifth ODI?
Arshdeep Singh was named Player of the Match for his 3 for 30 from 10 overs, leading India’s defence of 209.
Who was the Player of the Series?
Young pacer Gurnoor Brar was named Player of the Series after taking nine wickets in three games.
When was the last time India won an ODI series in New Zealand?
India’s 3-1 win is their first bilateral ODI series victory in New Zealand in seven years, since their last visit in 2019. It also ended New Zealand’s run of 11 consecutive bilateral ODI series wins at home.
India’s bowlers turned a modest total into a historic series win, and the visitors now carry that momentum into the Test series in Wellington.
Sources: ICC; SportsTak; Wisden; IANS.
