On a windy afternoon at Mount Maunganui, a cricket series that had swung back and forth between two teams reached its decisive hour, and India found themselves half-broken by a pace attack that had learned the surface well. Axar Patel's patient 46 had been the one thread of resistance, a reminder that even in sport the body keeps trying long after the mind has begun to doubt. Whether the innings rises or collapses will be decided by the hands of players still in the middle, while the older faces of the game watch from the edge of their own ending.
Axar Patel's 46 keeps India afloat at 138/5 in 29 overs in the 5th ODI at Mount Maunganui
Axar looked down at the pitch, unable to believe it
Mark
Why does a 46 matter so much in a collapse like this?
Mimi
Because it was the only real resistance. India were 33 for 2, then 37 for 3, and Axar's stand with Iyer, 34 off 35 balls, was what held things together.
Luke
Worth saying it was not clean. Both were dropped once, and Axar survived a run-out chance. The innings was rebuilt with luck as well as skill.
Mark
What was the backdrop to this match?
Mimi
India led 2-0, the third was rained off, and then New Zealand won the fourth after bowling India out for 89 chasing 334. Henry took six.
Luke
And that fourth match was played on the same surface a day earlier. That is context, though, not proof the pitch decided this game.
Mark
What about Rohit and Kohli?
Mimi
Rohit made 30 runs in four innings, Kohli 86 in total with a 74 at Auckland. The report calls this likely their last NZ appearance.
Luke
Note the phrasing: by all indication. It is the report's reading, not a confirmed announcement.
Mark
And where does India stand now?
Mimi
138 for 5 after 29 overs, with Ishan Kishan and Naman Dhir at the crease and the tail exposed.
Luke
We don't know the final total yet. This is a snapshot mid-innings, so any verdict is premature.
The Pulse
- India slid to 33 for 2 as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fell early to New Zealand's swinging new ball.
- The pitch that bowled India out for 89 in the previous match is still biting, with bounce and movement troubling every batter.
- Axar Patel's 46 ended in a catch at midwicket, leaving India's middle order carrying a fragile hope.
- A power cut interrupted play and the broadcast, forcing the innings to continue through an unsteady pause.
- At 138 for 5 after 29 overs, Ishan Kishan and Naman Dhir must hold the line and build a total before the tail is exposed.
On a windy afternoon at Mount Maunganui, a cricket series that had swung back and forth between two teams reached its decisive hour, and India found themselves half-broken by a pace attack that had learned the surface well. Axar Patel's patient 46 had been the one thread of resistance, a reminder that even in sport the body keeps trying long after the mind has begun to doubt. Whether the innings rises or collapses will be decided by the hands of players still in the middle, while the older faces of the game watch from the edge of their own ending.
Axar Patel stood at the crease staring at the pitch, unable to believe he had been caught for 46, four runs short of a fifty. India were 121 for 5 in the 25th over of the series-deciding fifth ODI at Bay Oval, and the afternoon had turned hard against them.
The series had swung both ways. India won the first two matches, the third was washed out, and New Zealand then won the fourth, bowling India out for 89 while chasing 334. This fifth game was played on the same surface a day later, and New Zealand's captain Mitchell Santner chose to bowl first, again fielding four seamers.
The innings opened badly. Duffy and Fisher found swing and bounce early, and Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli fell cheaply, leaving India 33 for 2. Shreyas Iyer and Axar then rebuilt with a stand of 34, though Iyer survived a dropped chance at third slip. When a power cut disrupted the broadcast, Axar hit a four and a six before the lights failed, and Iyer was caught at mid-on for 22 after play resumed.
Axar took India past 100, and Ishan Kishan survived a close caught-behind appeal before finding the boundary. At 138 for 5 after 29 overs, with Ishan in the 20s and Naman Dhir arriving, India still have hope, but only the tail remains behind them.
Axar Patel stood looking down at the pitch, unable to believe it. He had been four runs short of a fifty when a lofted shot slowed on the surface and carried straight to the fielder at midwicket. Michael Bracewell had him for 46, and India, in the series-deciding fifth ODI at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval, were 121 for 5 in the 25th over.
The contest came after a series that had swung both ways. India won the first two matches, and the third was washed out by rain, which would have let them close it out. New Zealand then won the fourth, in which India were bowled out for 89 chasing 334. Matt Henry took six wickets in that game, three of them in the first over of the innings. The fifth match was played on the same surface barely a day later.
New Zealand's captain, Mitchell Santner, won the toss and chose to bowl, partly because he expected dew later on. He said he had not expected to win it. With Henry and Jamieson out, and Jacob Duffy back, the home side again fielded four seamers, which Santner described as part of building depth. India, led by Shreyas Iyer, handed a debut to Yash Thakur and brought Mohammed Siraj back. Siraj had played only four ODIs this year, three against New Zealand at home in January and one against the West Indies last month. Iyer said Siraj had been craving the chance to play in all formats.
The start was uneven. Duffy took the new ball to Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad, and the first ball swung past Rohit's bat before he lofted a four over cover. Gaikwad then hit two boundaries off Matthew Fisher in the second over, one an outside edge that flew through the slip cordon. India were 21 without loss after four overs. Then Fisher struck, and Rohit flicked a slower, fuller ball to Dean Foxcroft at midwicket for 7 off 13.
Gaikwad pulled a short ball over midwicket for four, but Fisher soon removed Virat Kohli as well. Kohli swung hard at a shorter ball outside off, and Tim Seifert leapt to his right to hold the top edge. Kohli was out for 5 off 7, and India were 33 for 2. Gaikwad went at 37 for 3, driving at a fuller ball from Duffy that nipped back, and Seifert took the thick inside edge. Gaikwad scored just 23 runs in two innings in New Zealand, a missed chance to stake a claim as backup opener with Shubman Gill absent. His one standout ODI since September was 57 against the West Indies in New Chandigarh.
The series was a poor farewell for Rohit and Kohli, if this is indeed their last appearance on New Zealand soil. Rohit made 30 runs in four innings, including two ducks. Kohli began with 74 in Auckland but added only 12 more runs in his next three innings, one of them a duck.
Iyer and Axar rebuilt, though both had escapes. Iyer, chasing a length ball from Duffy, edged it to third slip, where Finn Allen dropped him, and Axar survived a run-out chance on the next ball. By the 14th over they had added 34 off 35 balls to reach 68 for 3, on a pitch that held at times and offered bounce when the ball was dug in. A power cut at the venue then disrupted the broadcast. Axar hit a four off Kristian Clarke and a six off Blair Tickner before the lights failed. When coverage resumed, with only a spare camera from deep cover, Iyer fell to a Tickner short ball, caught at mid-on for 22 off 26.
Axar took India past 100 with a cover drive off Tickner. Ishan Kishan survived a caught-behind appeal when the ball flicked his thigh, not the edge, and followed with a four. At 138 for 5 after 29 overs, with Ishan in the 20s and Naman Dhir arriving to join him, India had half their side gone and only the tail behind them. The closing overs will show whether they can reach a competitive total.
Notable Quotes
Siraj has also been craving an opportunity to play in all formats; he is pretty experienced.— Shreyas Iyer, India captain, at the toss
Henry and Jamieson are gone, Duffy is back, so four seamers again; it's about building depth.— Mitchell Santner, New Zealand captain
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