Tauranga [New Zealand], November 15 (ANI): New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged India’s disciplined bowling performance in the fifth ODI, saying the visitors made effective use of the conditions to secure a 22-run victory and clinch the five-match series 3-1.
India defended a modest total of 209 at Bay Oval on Sunday, bowling out New Zealand for 187 in 48.1 overs to register their third ODI series victory in the country. Santner felt his team had done well with the ball to restrict India but failed to extend crucial batting partnerships during the chase.
Assessing India’s bowling effort, the New Zealand skipper praised the visitors for their bowling changes and the timing of their key breakthroughs.
“I think they bowled really well in a tonight show. All four seamers bowled well; Shreyas did a great job rotating them around. Obviously held Axar back because the seamers were going really well. And I think, you know, they were able to chip wickets away through the middle as well. I think if we had taken each partnership a little bit longer, we would have won that game. But there was definitely some tricky periods. They brought Arshdeep back on at the right time and Siraj as well. So it was a great bowling performance,” Santner said during the post-match press conference.
Despite the defeat, Santner was satisfied with New Zealand’s effort with the ball, particularly after restricting India to 209.
“I was very happy at the halfway stage. It’s probably not as much in it as we thought. I thought the guys adapted well. It was obviously a little bit slow and then the way Beast (Michael Bracewell) kind of operated through the middle, you know, was outstanding. I think we were able to chip wickets out throughout. I was pretty happy with the 200 (209),” he said.
However, New Zealand struggled to build momentum in the chase, with India’s bowlers maintaining pressure through disciplined lines and effective field placements.
“I think it was, I think with the fields, it was a little bit two paced, the pitch. And I thought they squeezed us pretty well. And they made great use of the bounce as well,” Santner added.
The New Zealand captain also felt the 3-1 series scoreline did not fully reflect how competitive the contests had been, pointing to weather interruptions, toss results and opportunities for different players during the series.
“You look at the scoreline 3-1. I think it was closer than that. We played some good cricket. Obviously had a little bit of rain around and lost a few tosses. But in between all that, there’s a lot of good stuff. I think today, even in the last game, if you could take it a little bit deeper, there’s obviously a lot of time, especially with the bat in 50-over cricket. And then, different guys coming in, it’s obviously good experience. Guys stepped up as well, which was nice,” he said.
India’s bowling attack was led by Arshdeep Singh, who claimed three wickets for 30 runs, while Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel picked up two wickets each. Auqib Nabi, Yash Thakur and Naman Dhir also chipped in with a wicket apiece.
Dean Foxcroft was New Zealand’s highest scorer with 31, while Santner contributed 24. The hosts, who needed 210 for victory, were eventually dismissed for 187.
Meanwhile, Santner also provided an update on the hand injury he sustained while batting during the chase. The New Zealand captain was struck on the hand and required attention from the team physiotherapist.
“Pretty sore, not a lot (smiles), it’s not great. An x-ray tomorrow morning, let’s see what it is,” he said.
Earlier, India were bowled out for 209 in 42.1 overs after being asked to bat. Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel scored 46 runs apiece, while stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer contributed 22. Santner and Jacob Duffy claimed three wickets each, while Matthew Fisher picked up two.
India’s victory secured their third ODI series win in New Zealand, following their successes in 2009 and the 2018-19 season. (ANI)
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