Arshdeep Singh & Co. swing it India's way to secure 3-1 series win vs New Zealand
Mount Maunganui: The dhol beats synced with Arshdeep Singh's run-up as he steamed in to bowl the final over his spell. India were three wickets away from a win, and Shreyas Iyer rolled the dice hoping to pick a crucial wicket. Two steps in, both Arshdeep and the dhol missed their beat, forcing the left-arm bowler to abort his run-up and restart. He returned to the top of his mark and did exactly what was expected: pick a wicket and keep the visitors in striking distance of the famous win.With eight wickets down, India had their tails up and both the DJ and crowd joined in to lift up the mood at the Bay Oval.
The hands which were earlier warming inside the pockets were now applauding the bowling attack for its lion-hearted performance. The equation was delicately placed at 37 runs off 30 balls when Iyer turned to Mohammed Siraj, bowling his final over, in search of the last two wickets. Only Yash Thakur's one over and spin bowling remained for the last four wickets, and those were truly the most important six deliveries of the match for India.He nearly did the job but Ishan Kishan misjudged an edge behind the stumps and the ball raced to the boundary.
The frustration was evident in the Indian camp, as the majority of the remaining bowling would be spin. Then Axar came in and struck on the second delivery, leaving India just one wicket away from a hard-fought win. New Zealand survived Yash Thakur's final over but Axar Patel picked the final wicket to help India register a 22-run win.Not just in this game but the entire series, especially in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and even Gurnoor Brar for the final game, the likes of Auqib Nabi, Mohammed Siraj and Yash Thakur stepped up, receiving able support from the spin of Axar Patel and Naman Dhir.Defending a 210-run target, the focus was never on saving runs but on pressing for ten wickets—India's approach from the moment they stepped out.
Iyer attacked with his wicket-taking options, even if it meant bowling out Arshdeep in the 43rd over and introducing spin for the first time in the 36th over of New Zealand's innings.Much like the fourth ODI, the golden hour injected fresh life into the surface and India exerted enough pressure by picking wickets at regular intervals. The tight lines ensured the run-rated was never in comfortable territory during the run-chase.
It was a good old-fashioned ODI fixture but both teams had their moments and momentum kept shifting either way.But the evening breeze and the relentlessness of the inexperienced bowling attack plastered over the batting cracks, helping India stage an emphatic fight, seal the series 3-1 and complete the white-ball leg with two trophies in the cabinet.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 in 48.1 overs (Dean Foxcroft 31; Arshdeep Singh 3/30) by 22 runs.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates.
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