India completed only their second 5-0 win in an ODI series after New Zealand folded meekly for 103 in the final game in Chennai, extending their losing streak to 10 consecutive matches. Since they beat India by 200 runs in August, they've not tasted victory in 12 matches.
Indian spinners took 7-40 between them in 13 overs after praveen kumar and Ashish Nehra had provided three new-ball strikes. New Zealand's spinners made things interesting by reducing India to 10-2. But Parthiv Patel's second fifty in as many games and yuvraj sing`s much-needed 42 took India home.
The umpiring from Amish Saheba and Richard Kettleborough had been less than perfect, and New Zealand, who benefitted from Gautam Gambhir given caught behind possibly wrongly, were denied a straightforward LBW shout against Parthiv. India steadied up with Parthiv and Yuvraj knocking off the remaining runs.
New Zealand had been competitive in the Test series, and a closely-fought ODI series was expected. Instead, even though India rested most of their senior batsmen, a one-sided series resulted.
Electing to bat, things began badly for New Zealand. Praveen Kumar found swing in the first over. Martin Guptill poked at a gentle away-swinger second ball and India were on their way.
Brendon McCullum was on a one-point mission --- to attack everything within his reach. He smashed three boundaries in Ashish Nehra's first over. For the last one he had walked down the track to loft Nehra over extra-cover. In Nehra's next over, McCullum walked too far across the stumps and fell LBW.
Nehra then surprised Ross Taylor with a short ball, which seemed to have hit the glove on its way to the keeper. Taylor waited around to see the replays on the giant screen, but the damage had been done.
The rest of the Kiwi line-up cut a sorry figure. R Ashwin's first ball spun and as has been Gambhir's captaincy style through the series, he set attacking fields. In the next 11 overs, six of the seven wickets that fell were at the wicket --- LBW, bowled or caught at slip or short-leg.
In three overs, Yuvraj and Ashwin removed Jamie How, Scott Styris and Grant Elliot. Having recovered to 69-3 in 17 overs, New Zealand were suddenly bowled out for 103.
New Zealand opened with Nathan McCullum and Vettori. Gambhir capped a successful series with a duck as he played back to cut McCullum. Kettleborough initially shook his head to negate the appeal. But McCullum started back-pedalling with his continued shout. Suddenly, Kettleborough pursed his lips and gave it out. Gambhir reacted with disbelief, walking back shaking his head.
Parthiv survived the LBW off McCullum but Kohli's dismissal was straightforward: Vettori got one to bounce outside off-stump and the in-form right-hander edged it to slip. Vettori still appealed, possibly in an attempt to mock Saheba.
Earlier in the day, Saheba had given Nathan McCullum out caught when the ball had gone off his forearm. That was inconsequential in the larger story which is that New Zealand had mentally disintegrated as their tour of the sub-continent had gone on. Instead of showing signs of gradual improvement, they've finished this trip with their worst performance.
How they perform at the World Cup remains to be seen. One thing's for sure: they can only go up from here.