India bowlers bail batters out to secure New Zealand series win in tense finale
NEW DELHI, NOV 15 : A total of 209 was never going to make for a comfortable afternoon. And with questions around Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, the 2027 World Cup and India’s batting order refusing to go away, the Indian dressing room had plenty to think about before walking out to defend it. Their bowlers were perhaps the last card left to play.
Thankfully for India, they played it rather well.
India beat New Zealand by 22 runs to seal the ODI series, handing Gambhir his first ODI overseas series win and some much-needed breathing room.
Arshdeep Singh led the charge with three wickets, but this was a collective effort. Mohammed Siraj made a timely return, Auqib Nabi impressed and debutant Yash Thakur chipped in, ensuring India’s pace attack did not miss Gurnoor Brar.
Shreyas Iyer also deserves credit for trusting his quicks. He held back the spinners until the 36th over, allowing the pacers to do most of the damage. The conditions helped too. Unlike the previous ODI, there were no two-faced pitch troubles this time. Both teams had to deal with movement and uneven bounce, while India’s quicks found swing as the evening wore on.
The bowlers had rescued a series that India’s batters had made unnecessarily difficult. India ended New Zealand’s unbeaten home ODI series run, which had stood since 2019, and handed Gautam Gambhir his first ODI series win overseas as head coach. Not a bad day’s work for an attack defending 209.
PATIENCE IS THE NAME OF THE GAME
They say patience is the name of the game. India’s batters, however, seemed to have missed that memo and Gambhir’s press conference entirely.
After being bowled out for 89 in the previous ODI, they needed to give themselves time at the crease. Instead, they were three down inside nine overs, with the scoreboard reading 34/3.
Gambhir had practically spelt it out after the 244-run defeat in the fourth ODI. The India head coach had spoken about respecting the first 10 overs rather than chasing an ambitious start. Even 35-40 runs without losing a wicket, he said, would be a perfectly good return in those conditions.
One wonders if the dressing room had switched the channel when that press conference came on.
Just like in the previous ODI, India’s top three were gone in a flash. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were both gone for single digits again, and Ruturaj Gaikwad followed for 18. India were 34/3 inside nine overs, and the rebuilding job had begun all over again.
Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel put together a 52-run stand for the fourth wicket, but Blair Tickner ended it when Shreyas went for a pull and found the fielder.
Axar had looked like the one batter capable of getting India out of trouble. But just when he seemed to have the situation under control, he threw it away for 46, trying to slap a gentle delivery from Michael Bracewell straight to Will Young at mid-wicket.
And then came the familiar pattern. Rather than take a cue from Axar’s rebuilding effort, the batters who followed kept looking for the big shot. Ishan Kishan managed 46, but fell attempting an upper cut against a sharp bouncer. Naman Dhir, who had added 39 with Kishan, could not make his start count either.
India’s lower order had little choice but to keep swinging as the innings unravelled. Santner and Duffy picked up three wickets each, while Tickner and Fisher took two apiece.
For a while, even getting past 200 looked like a tall order. It took a surprise burst of hitting from Siraj and Arshdeep to get India there. Siraj found the boundaries and Arshdeep chipped in with a quick 14 off just four balls, giving the innings a late push it badly needed.
WHEN THE MATCH CHANGED
New Zealand had made a steady start to the chase, but India were never allowing them to get completely comfortable. The surface was offering enough movement for the quicks, and the Indian pacers kept making the most of it. There was no need to force the issue with extravagant variations. They stuck to their lengths, found swing and made the New Zealand batters play.
Siraj brought his pace and energy back into the attack, while Arshdeep kept finding ways to trouble the batters.
New Zealand did manage to hang around. Dean Foxcroft looked comfortable for a while, and Mitchell Santner’s arrival gave the hosts some hope of dragging the chase deeper. But India kept finding answers.
Auqib Nabi made a crucial contribution by removing Michael Bracewell, while Yash Thakur, after a forgettable first outing with the bat, got his maiden ODI wicket by bowling Foxcroft.
Santner and Kristian Clarke then threatened to make things interesting with a partnership that briefly kept New Zealand in the contest. Naman Dhir provided that breakthrough.
It brought the left-arm quick back into the attack with the tail exposed.
And that is when Arshdeep produced his best over of the day. New Zealand were still hanging on at 161/7, but the 43rd over changed the mood of the chase completely. Arshdeep removed Clarke, finished with a wicket maiden and left the hosts at 161/8.
Arshdeep’s three wickets were important, but the timing of that wicket maiden made his spell even more valuable. He had shut down the possibility of a late partnership and put the pressure squarely on the last two New Zealand batters. The hosts managed to stretch the game for a few more overs, but the fight was all but over. Axar Patel eventually had Blair Tickner stumped by Kishan to wrap up the innings at 187.
BOWLERS WIN THE SERIES BATTLE
For a bowling attack still finding its feet, this series turned out to be quite the confidence booster. Gurnoor Brar, playing only his third ODI, led India’s wicket-takers with nine scalps and walked away with the Player of the Series award. Arshdeep Singh was close behind with eight, while Axar Patel took six and Auqib Nabi five. Debutant Yash Thakur also got his first ODI wicket in the decider. It was hardly an attack packed with experience, but it certainly knew where to find the wickets.
The batters, meanwhile, might want to look away from the numbers. Virat Kohli topped India’s charts with 86 runs, but averaged just 21.5 across four innings. Rohit Sharma managed 30 at 7.5, while Shreyas Iyer finished with 67 at 16.75. Axar and Ishan Kishan added 74 and 73 respectively, but not one Indian batter crossed 100 runs. The bowlers, on the other hand, had three names among the top six wicket-takers. Not quite the contribution you’d expect from a series-winning side, but India will take it.
There is plenty for Gautam Gambhir to chew on before India’s next ODI assignment, the three-match home series against Sri Lanka from December 13 to 19, with games in Delhi, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. With the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia edging closer, this series offered a useful taste of the conditions India could encounter.
With the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia edging closer, India have little time to waste in sorting out their batting concerns.
However, the middle order and the patience questions will remain for Gambhir and his men to answer and answer fast. This 3-1 series win is certainly not a snooze button on that.
-PTI
