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New Zealand thrash India in Hamilton, seal series win
New Zealand thrash India by seven wickets, with 11 balls to spare, in the fourth one-dayer in Seddon Park, Hamilton, take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
The eventual result was very much on expected lines.
Weeks after being thrashed in South Africa, MS Dhoni and Co found themselves facing similar plight in New Zealand.
The Black Caps defeated India by seven wickets in the fourth one-dayer to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series on Tuesday.
Chasing 279, New Zealand scored 280 for 3 in 48.1 overs, with their two most experienced players - Ross Taylor (112 not out) and Brendon McCullum (49 not out) - sharing an unbroken 92-run stand for the fourth wicket.
The home team won the first two matches in Napier and Hamilton while the third game in Auckland ended in a tie.
Rohit notched up his 21st ODI fifty
Earlier, Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat, a change from the team's policy in the first three ODIs on the tour.
India also made two changes; Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina were dropped, and Ambati Rayudu and Stuart Binny, who was handed his first ODI cap, included.
After a slow start they put up a healthy of 278 for five.
In the absence of Dhawan, Virat Kohli opened the innings with Rohit Sharma.
In the fourth over, with only five runs on the board, Kohli (2) went after a short delivery from Southee, mistimed his pull and was caught at mid-wicket by Neesham.
Ajinkya Rahane (3), too, moved up the order, coming in at number three. he too was a victim of runs-not-flowing. He pulled straight to Southee at fine-leg off Mills.
Dhoni hit a 73-ball 79 not out
However, it was captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (79 not out) who gave the Indian innings the fillip it so desperately needed.
After walking in he hit Williamson for a six straightaway.
He also finished the innings in style, hitting a massive six off Neeshan.
In between, India's captain completed his second consecutive fifty, his 54th in ODIs overall.
Dhoni's 73-ball knock was inclusive of six hits to the fence and four over it.
Jadeja delivered with the bat...and the ball
Giving Dhoni adequate support was Auckland hero Ravindra Jadeja.
Jadeja was more aggressive of the two to begin with but as the innings entered the last 10 overs, both opened up gradually, playing attacking strokes and looking for big runs.
The tactic worked very well for India as they brought up their 50-run partnership off only 55 balls in the 43rd over, and then three overs later, Dhoni got his off 58 balls.
Jadeja, too, brought up his eighth ODI half-century off only 46 balls. They scored 100 runs in the last 10 overs, making sure that India didn't lose more wickets in the last 16.5 overs, while scoring at a run-rate of 7.54 per over.
He was also by far India's best bowler, even though he went wicket-less.
Guptill scored an aggressive 35 early on
Chasing what seemed a formidable target, the home team got off to a flying start, getting to the 50-run mark as early as the seventh over.
The in-form Martin Guptill (35) and Jesse Ryder (19) added 54 runs for the opening wicket before the latter dragged a Vrun Aaron delivery on to his stumps.
Five balls later, Mohammad Shami trapped Guptill plumb in front.
Guptill, a centurion in Auckland, faced 27 balls, hit six boundaries and a six.
Williamson notched his fourth straight fifty
The dual dismissal led to the partnership that laid the foundation for New Zealand's victory.
Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson (60), their two most consistent batsmen in the series, started slowly before eventually dominating the bowlers.
The duo put on 130 runs for the third wicket.
In the process, Williamson notched his fourth consecutive fifty of the series, his 10th overall in ODIs.
He was run-out soon after by Jadeja, on his follow through, while attempting a non-existent single.
Taylor's ninth ODI hundred sealed the match and series for New Zealand
However, it was Taylor's unbeaten century that sealed the match and series for New Zealand.
He scored a match-winning 127-ball 112, his knock inclusive of 15 boundaries, to take the team home.
He also shared an unbroken 92-run stand for the fourth wicket with his captain, McCullum, who scored 49 not out.