IND v NZ 5th ODI Review: India seal the series 3-2 as NZ stumble against Amit Mishra’s leg-spin

It is not often that we see a 190-run winning margin in an ODI but when five of your batsmen are dismissed for ducks, only three managed double-digit scores in a chase you know things aren’t quite going your way. New Zealand who had another opportunity to finally win an ODI series in India as the series was all at levels coming to Vizag but the way they batted against the Indian spinners they didn’t deserve to win. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra absolutely enjoyed bowling on the surface that offered him grip as well as turn and bagged a five-wicket haul as the Kiwis had no idea whatsoever of where the ball was going.

Indian skipper MS Dhoni got the toss his way this time and for a change decided to bat first. Ajinkya Rahane started the proceedings with a crisp boundary through covers. Rohit Sharma who hadn’t been among the runs in the first four games took his time and as he looked a bit tentative against the New Zealand bowling duo of Tim Southee and Trent Boult slammed the penultimate delivery of the 3rd over midwicket for a boundary and got better thereafter.

They hadn’t lost a wicket but also hadn’t scored a lot of runs and the Kiwis finally had the breakthrough in the 10th over as Rahane chipped a Jimmy Neesham delivery to midwicket. Sensing that it was a wicket for the spinners the visiting skipper Kane Williamson introduced spin right after the end of the mandatory powerplay, Mitchell Santner turned the ball but didn’t find any success. The Rohit-Virat Kohli partnership took the team over the hundred run mark as the opener got to his 29th ODI half century.

Meanwhile, Kohli also churned out the runs as the New Zealand bowlers weren’t quite able to stop the duo who ran at will and hit the big shots against both the pacers and spinners. Rohit couldn’t capitalize on the fifty and hit one in the air straight to Neesham in the deep and was walking back for 70. There was a loud cheer as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked out to the center at his new No. 4 position.

Run-scoring wasn’t really easy as the ball gripped off the surface and didn’t come on to the bat as much as the batsmen would have liked. Kohli and Dhoni did the hard work as the 35-year old once again struggled to get going. The balls he had consumed were once again growing and there was the moment when it looked like the pressure would consume it once again but he shattered it off with a six of Ish Sodhi. That hit changed the momentum of his innings and soon he was playing the sweep against spin and even timed one perfectly for a boundary. But it was the same shot that caused his downfall as he missed one from Santner on 41 and it hit him on the pads right in front.

Kohli had by then completed his half ton and despite Dhoni’s wicket things looked in good shape for the Men in Blue. But Manish Pandey played a foul shot and was caught by Boult off Sodhi. The leg-spinner had another success in his spell when Virat Kohli looking for another big shot found Martin Guptill and was disappointingly dismissed for 65. All of a sudden the Kiwi bowlers were on top but to the credit of the Indian management the lower order Kedar Jadhav and Axar Patel took the responsibility and made sure they didn’t lose any further wickets and at the same time scored sufficient runs. Jadhav was unbeaten on 39 while Patel was bowled by a full slower one from Boult.

Umesh Yadav steamed in to kick start the proceedings for Team India and beat Guptill with a beautiful delivery that shaped away after pitching to kiss his thigh pads and crash into the off-stump. New Zealand looked up to Tom Latham and skipper Kane Williamson once again but Jasprit Bumrah operating from the other end beat Latham with a slower delivery at it lobbed in the air and straight to Jayant Yadav at mid-on.

It was all a spin tale thereafter as the New Zealanders looked helpless against the Indian spin trio of Amit Mishra, Axar Patel and Yadav. Patel struck first with the wicket of Williamson who was once again caught by India’s debutant off-spinner. Amit Mishra then unleashed slow, turning leg-spinners and googly against the Kiwis who had no clue where the ball would spin and how should they tackle it. Ross Taylor finished a poor series being caught by Dhoni off a conventional leg-spin delivery.

He foxed BJ Watling who was playing for the regular ball with a googly for a duck. Corey Anderson was trapped in front and became the maiden ODI wicket for Jayant Yadav. Neesham stayed for a while but was beaten by Mishra and the bails were off their grooves again.

Dhoni had by then brought in extra close-in fielders and two slips. Mishi beat Southee and the moment MS Dhoni took off the bails he was certain he had his man, the umpire went upstairs and the foot was well in the air when it mattered and that was his 5th wicket. Ish Sodhi top edged one as Rahane standing at slips completed an easy catch. The first delivery of the 24th over stayed low and slipped past Santner’s attempt and that wrapped up the game and series for the Indian team as New Zealand were bowled out for a paltry total of 79.

Brief Scores:

India: 269/6 (Rohit Sharma 70, Virat Kohli 65; Ish Sodhi 2/66)

New Zealand: 79/10 (Kane Williamson 27; Amit Mishra 5/18)

Man of the Match: Amit Mishra

Man of the Series: Amit Mishra