Having taken a metal pounding in the first four games, the Kiwis caved in on a pleasant afternoon at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Friday.
The rampant India's 5-0 ODI series sweep was set up by the bowlers. Skittled out for 103, the Kiwis were down for the count.Then, Parthiv Patel (56 not out) and Man of the Match Yuvraj Singh (42 not out) powered India to a thumping eight-wicket victory with as many as 173 deliveries to spare; this is India's biggest win in terms of balls against New Zealand.
And India's only previous 5-0 sweep was against England at home in the 2008/09 season. The Kiwi spinners struck early when India chased. Skipper Gautam Gambhir was caught behind attempting to cut Nathan McCullum and Virat Kohli was flummoxed by a delivery of bite and turn from Daniel Vettori.
Despite his failure here, the left-handed Gambhir was adjudged Player of the Series for 329 runs – including two centuries – at 109.66 in the series.
Joining forces at 10 for two, southpaws Parthiv and Yuvraj settled the issue. Yuvraj's shots through covers – he eased into front-footed strokes with balance and timing – reflected his class. His effortless six over long-off off medium pacer Grant Elliott had the flow of a natural.
The compact Parthiv cut, drove, flicked and pulled. During this innings, he also displayed improved footwork. Gradually, all escape routes were closed for the visitor.
Earlier, the New Zealand batting lacked belief. The side was bundled out for its smallest total against India in only 27 overs. This is also the lowest team score in Chepauk. The sea breeze blew across the ground through the large gaps between the new-look stands, the ball swung for the pacemen and drifted and turned for the spinners.
This was a pitch where the batsmen - unless the length was short - needed to bat straighter than squarer with a vertical blade. They required to get solidly behind the line, be decisive in their footwork and will themselves to not play across the line.
Too many Kiwi batsmen were dismissed trying to work the ball to the leg-side. The shot-selection, leading to soft dismissals,was ordinary.
Vettori's decision to bat in cloudy conditions that would have favoured his pacemen was baffling. To its credit, the Indian attack operated well in combinations. The pressure on New Zealand was maintained right through the innings from both the sides.
Praveen Kumar operated to an exemplary line with the new ball. Importantly, he bowled close to the off-stump - denying the batsmen width - and swung the ball either away or in. Martin Guptill nicked a lovely out-swinger. Ashish Nehra bowled with verve. The left-armer's ability to straighten the ball from over-the-wicket accounted for Brendon McCullum, who shuffled across. Earlier, McCullum waded into Nehra, pulling slashing and cover-driving on-the-walk. The left-arm paceman held his nerve.
The Kiwi top and middle-order caved in. Ross Taylor attempted to pull Nehra - not the easiest of stroke for a right-hander against a left-arm paceman's over-the-wicket angle - to glove the ball to Parthiv behind the stumps. The under-rated Munaf Patel was impressive during a brief three-over burst. The secret of his exemplary wrist and seam position lies on the straightness of his bowling elbow. If the elbow opens up, it adversely impacts the sphere's release.
The spinners too were in the thick of things. Yuvraj Singh's handy left-arm spin ended Jamie How's tenure when the batsman played across to a delivery that pitched on off and straightened. Yuvraj also sent back Grant Elliott, who was clueless against an arm-ball. Yuvraj is not a big spinner, but is operating with greater control these days.
Meanwhile, Ashwin had settled into a nice rhythm. He foxed Scott Styris with a fuller delivery that, fatally, defeated the batsman's attempt to sweep. The off-spinner releases the ball late, spots the initial movement of the batsman and makes the adjustments. The Kiwis continued to slide. Yusuf Pathan went round-the-wicket and spun a quicker ball away from the left-handed Vettori. Yuvraj made no mistake at slip. Nathan McCullum was unlucky to be adjudged caught on the sweep off Yusuf when the ball appeared to go off his fore-arm.
Despite a few bright hits by James Franklin, the consistent Ashwin polished off the tail. The Kiwis did not have a chance, really.
Scores:
New Zealand: M. Guptill c P. Patel b P. Kumar 0 (4b), B. McCullum lbw Nehra 14 (10b, 3x4), J. How b Yuvraj 23 (42b, 4x4), R. Taylor c P.Patel b Nehra 9 (9b, 2x4), S. Styris lbw Ashwin 24 (45b, 2x4), J.Franklin (not out) 17 (24b, 1x6), G. Elliott lbw Yuvraj 0 (5b), D.Vettori c Yuvraj b Y. Pathan 9 (11b), N. McCullum c Yuvraj b Pathan 1(3b), K. Mills c S. Tiwari b Ashwin 4 (7b, 1x4), T. Southee c R.Sharma b Ashwin 0 (2b), Extras (w-2) 2; Total (all out in 27 overs)103.
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Guptill), 2-14 (B. McCullum), 3-28 (Taylor), 4-71 (How), 5-73 (Styris), 6-74 (Elliott), 7-90 (Vettori), 8-98 (N.McCullum), 9-103 (Mills).
India bowling: P. Kumar 6-1-20-1, Nehra 5-0-34-2, Munaf 3-0-9-0, Ashwin 8-1-24-3, Yuvraj 2-0-5-2, Yusuf 3-0-11-2.
India: G. Gambhir c B. McCullum b N. McCullum 0 (3b), P. Patel (not out) 56 (70b, 6x4, 1x6), V. Kohli c Taylor b Vettori 2(8b), Yuvraj Singh (not out) 42 (46b, 6x4, 2x6), Extras (w-5, lb-2) 7, Total (for two wkts in 21.1 overs) 107.
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Gambhir), 2-10 (Kohli).
New Zealand bowling: N. McCullum 6-1-26-1, D. Vettori 6-0-30-1, Styris 4-0-7-0, Mills 1-0-15-0, Elliott 4.1-0-27-0.
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