By IANS,
Auckland : An all round performance by Jesse Ryder helped New Zealand beat India by eight wickets for a morale boosting win in the inconsequential fifth and the final One-day International here Saturday. The visitors wrapped up the series 3-1.
Man of the Match Ryder first took 3 wickets for 29 as New Zealand dismissed India for 149, and then scored a flamboyant 63 as the hosts made 151 for two in just 23.2 overs at the Eden Park to salvage some pride in a match that was reduced to 43 overs per side due to rain showers. Martin Guptill remained not out on 57 from 50 deliveries.
Ryder ripped apart the famed Indian batting order, dismissing Yuvraj Singh (11), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (9) and Yusuf Pathan (0), after Virender Sehwag (40) provided another blazing start. Jacob Oram, Iain O’Brien and Kyle Mills shared five wickets.
Rohit Sharma was the top scorer and remained unbeaten on 43.
Mills provided the first breakthrough by getting rid of Gautam Gambhir (5) in the fifth over while Oram removed Sehwag at a time when the right-handed batsman was looking dangerous.
Sehwag faced only 27 balls and hit three fours and three sixes before he holed out to Brendon McCullum in the deep off Mills. Sehwag’s departure helped New Zealand to pull back things as Indian wickets kept on tumbling like nine pins.
Rohit, playing his second match in the series as a replacement for the injured Sachin Tendulkar, kept the scoreboard ticking but ran out of partners.
While chasing, New Zealand achieved the winning target at a ridiculously easy pace. Ryder got to his half-century in 38 balls with four fours and four sixes and by the time he departed in the 15th over New Zealand were well on the road to victory.
Guptill confidently added the final touch to give New Zealand some confidence ahead of the three-Test series starting in Hamilton Wednesday.