We never take any game lightly: Gambhir

Despite a 4-0 lead, his side had approached the fifth ODI here with all seriousness said India skipper Gautam Gambhir.

“We never take any game lightly. Everybody wants to do well. There is no room for complacency,” he said.

Asked about a few close battles for places in the World Cup squad, he said, “The problem of the plenty is good. There is healthy competition in the dressing room and the field of play. We are a completely professional side.”

Gambhir added that the World Cup would be a completely different ball game. “The expectations will be high and we will have to cope with that.”

The left-handed opener was all praise for off-spinner R. Ashwin's bowling in the series. “He is a real asset to the team. He can bowl in both the power-play and the slog overs.”

Gambhir was also appreciative of the efforts from Virat Kohli, Yusuf Pathan and Yuvraj Singh in the series.

Daniel Vettori conceded results such as the 5-0 whitewash here meant “New Zealand cricket was going nowhere.” Despite a rough ride, he said, “We need to remain positive.”

Friday's defeat here was New Zealand's 10th successive ODI loss. The New Zealand captain said there was plenty of assistance for the spinners from the pitch. “We wanted to put up a good score but the ball turned and bounced. Batting was not easy. And we lost wickets at regular intervals.” Vettori said his team had to rebound with a good display against Pakistan at home. “We will also have to play plenty of domestic cricket to find form.”

On his role as captain, Vettori said, “I have given it my best shot. But there are powers above me who decide whether I stay or not.”