India beat New Zealand by seven runs in the fifth T20I at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui to become the first team to win a bilateral T20I series with a 5-0 margin. Jasprit Bumrah roared back to form with India defending 164, picking up three wickets for just 12 runs. Navdeep Saini and Shardul Thakur picked up two wickets each as New Zealand fell short of target. After losing opener Sanju Samson early, KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma put on an 88-run stand but after Rahul's dismissal and Rohit's calf injury, India lost momentum and finished with 163 when at one point, a total of 180 or more looked within reach. India started brilliantly, with New Zealand reduced to 17/3. But Tim Seifert and Ross Taylor went on to put up a 99-run stand and almost took the game away from India. But then Saini struck to remove Seifert, and then New Zealand suffered a mini-collapse, going from 116/4 to 133/8. Ish Sodhi hit a couple of maximums off the final over to give India a scare, but the visitors held on to their nerves and secured the 5-0 series clean sweep. (SCORECARD)
Highlights Between New Zealand vs India 5th T20I, straight from The Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui:
It has been a thrilling series, with two matches going to the Super Over and the other ones also seeing close finishes. India will be very happy with the 5-0 whitewash, while New Zealand will need to look at ways to put up an improved show when the ODI leg of the tour begins.
New Zealand finish with 156/9 and India win by seven runs to complete a huge 5-0 whitewash. What a boost this will be for India ahead of October's World Cup!
And that's all but game over for New Zealand. Full and wide from Saini and Taylor has a swing at it. It takes the outside edge and it's a simple catch for KL Rahul. Taylor departs after a fighting 53. New Zealand 133/8 with 2.5 overs left
Short ball, Kuggeleijn tries to pull a well directed bouncer and gets an edge on it and it's a simple catch for Washington Sundar at deep square leg. New Zealand 132/7
What a yorker! India's pressure man delivers, knocking off Mitchell's bails. Mitchell could not get the bat down on time and it hit the leg stump. Fantastic stuff from Bumrah, his second of the match. New Zealand 119/5 in 14 overs
Shortish delivery, Seifert tries the pick-up song and it's jumped up nicely for Samson at close range. And that 99-run partnership comes to an end! Seifert goes for 50, New Zealand 116/4
Dube bowls it full on Taylor's pads and he flicks it off his toes. Sundar slips at the boundary and it goes for a boundary. Dube had overstepped so free hit coming up as well.
Seifert got across and tried to scoop it behind. He missed his shot and nearly edged the ball on to the stumps, but it runs away for a boundary instead. Lucky!
Taylor hit another one high over mid-wicket and it looked like it was gone for a maximum, but Sanju Samson dived over the rope, caught the ball and threw the ball back into the field while still mid-air! Sensational fielding to save four runs there!
India Cricket Team
New Zealand Cricket Team