NZ vs IND 2026: New Zealand vs India, 5th ODI - Who Said What?

India defeated New Zealand by 22 runs in the fifth and final ODI on November 15, 2026, to clinch the series. After being asked to bat first, the visitors were bowled out for 209 in 42.1 overs, with Axar Patel and Ishan Kishan scoring 46 runs apiece. New Zealand had a decent start to their chase but kept losing wickets at regular intervals and eventually folded for 187 in 48.1 overs.

The victory also ended New Zealand's impressive run of seven years and 11 consecutive bilateral ODI series wins at home. Interestingly, the last time the Black Caps lost an ODI series on home soil was against India in 2019. Gautam Gambhir will be particularly pleased, having secured his first ODI series victory away from home as India's head coach.

NZ vs IND: Talking Points

1. RoKo fail to deliver yet again

India's experienced batting duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli failed to make an impact once again. Rohit managed just seven runs off 13 deliveries before being caught by Dean Foxcroft off Matthew Fisher. Kohli's stay was even shorter, as he departed for five off seven balls, giving Fisher his second wicket of the innings.

The two senior batters have struggled to find consistency during the series, and their early dismissals once again put India under pressure. With Ruturaj Gaikwad also falling for 18, India found themselves in trouble during the opening phase of the innings.

2. Axar Patel and Ishan Kishan help India recover

With India losing wickets at regular intervals, Axar Patel and Ishan Kishan stepped up when their team needed them the most. The duo scored 46 runs each and played crucial knocks to prevent the innings from collapsing further.

Axar took 55 deliveries to score his 46, striking five fours and a six, while Ishan contributed 46 off 58 balls, including three fours and two sixes. Their contributions helped India move past the 150-run mark and gave the lower order something to build on. Although neither batter could convert the start into a half-century, their efforts proved vital in a match where every run mattered.

3. India's bowlers deliver under pressure to seal series

Defending a modest total of 210, India's bowlers produced a disciplined performance to bowl New Zealand out for 187. Arshdeep Singh led the attack with three wickets for 30 runs in his 10 overs, while Mohammed Siraj chipped in with two wickets.

Axar Patel also made an important contribution with the ball, picking up two wickets for 28 runs in 6.1 overs. Yash Thakur and Auqib Nabi claimed one wicket each, while Naman Dhir dismissed New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner.

Despite useful contributions from Dean Foxcroft (31), Nick Kelly (24) and Santner (24), the hosts could not build a match-defining partnership. India's bowlers kept striking at crucial moments and ensured that New Zealand fell 22 runs short of the target, sealing a memorable series victory for the visitors.

NZ vs IND: Who Said What?

Shreyas Iyer, India Captain

"[Winning the T20I and ODI series in New Zealand and overcoming changing weather and playing conditions] Ecstatic. I think both the series T20 and ODI coming over here, we were provided with different conditions. The weather kept changing. Faced with a lot of challenges and coming out triumphs, I think it’s a great achievement. And today we had that certain kind of belief even though we didn’t get that many runs in batting. But still we were hoping that we can change the game at any point of time. And I’m glad that every individual thought in the same direction and we were able to execute that. [Team adaptability, batting challenges and the confidence placed in the bowling attack throughout the series] Definitely if you see the whole series, it wasn’t a series for batsmen. The way the bowlers bowled, they stood up to the occasion and definitely were confident enough to see to it that they would get the team through irrespective of the conditions. I think that’s the mindset of all the players that we need and the character each and every individual possesses. It’s top notch. [Depth of the bowling attack, players being unavailable through Test preparations and injuries, and the challenge of changing combinations] Yes, absolutely. It becomes at some point of time becomes challenging for the players when there’s chopping and changing. They need to acclimatize to the condition and adapt as you mentioned earlier. But we didn’t want to give any excuse. We just wanted to live up to our expectations and every individual were just willing to come out here and give their best."

"[Appreciation for Indian supporters and record crowds attending the bilateral series in New Zealand] Absolutely, we’ve been seeing them coming in numbers and the way they have supported irrespective of the results, you know. It went in our way sometimes, it went in New Zealand’s way. They were supporting both the teams, which is very heartening to see. And this is the kind of support we need. And also the sport is growing to a different level. We know what kind of inspiration we get from them. So thanks a lot for the love and support to each and every one who have been here. [Mutual respect between India and New Zealand, on-field competition and off-field friendship] Yes, absolutely. I feel that that’s how it should be. Off the field should be friendly, but on the field it’s like a war."

Mitchell Santner, New Zealand Captain

"[On his hand] Pretty sore, not a lot (smiles), it's not great. An x-ray tomorrow morning, let's see what it is. [Assessment of the match from a bowling perspective and satisfaction with the opposition’s total at the halfway stage] I was very happy at the halfway stage. It’s probably not as much in it as we thought. I thought the guys adapted well. It was obviously a little bit slow and then the way Beast (Micheal Bracewell) kind of operated through the middle, you know, was outstanding. I think we were able to chip wickets out throughout. I was pretty happy with the 200 (209). [Assessment of the bowling attack, testing the depth of the batting and the performance of the players against a high-quality opposition] I think they bowled really well in a tonight show. All four seamers bowled well; Shreyas did a great job rotating them around. Obviously held Axar back because the seamers were going really well. And I think, you know, they were able to chip wickets away through the middle as well. I think if we had taken each partnership a little bit longer, we would have won that game. But there was definitely some tricky periods. They brought Ashdeep back on at the right time and Siraj as well. So it was a great bowling performance."

"[Batting difficulties, inability to build momentum and the effectiveness of India’s bowling and field placements] I think it was, I think with the fields, it was a little bit two paced, the pitch. And I thought they squeezed us pretty well. And they made great use of the bounce as well. [Assessment of the 3-1 series result, competitive cricket, weather interruptions and opportunities for different players] You look at the scoreline 3-1. I think it was closer than that. We played some good cricket. Obviously had a little bit of rain around and lost a few tosses. But in between all that, there’s a lot of good stuff. I think today, even in the last game, if you could take it a little bit deeper, there’s obviously a lot of time, especially with the bat in 50-over cricket. And then, different guys coming in, it’s obviously good experience. Guys stepped up as well, which was nice."

Arshdeep Singh, Player of the Match

"[On his cameo] I love my batting. Even if I’m batting at eleven, I enjoy it. And always trying to create room for myself and smash it. But some people on my team say that I’m scared of the ball. But I take it. I create room. [Importance of the crucial 14 runs scored alongside Mohammed Siraj, batting at numbers ten and eleven] Yes, that’s the chat when we ended the batting as well. Siraj told me that these runs will be very crucial. And we made sure we went above 200 and that was a little thought in mind: we had crossed a small milestone there and had some runs to bowl at. [Bowling performance, discipline and persistence in maintaining the right areas despite not getting immediate wickets] I feel like we kept coming and we were very disciplined with our areas and we didn’t let go of that thing even when we were not getting the results, we were not getting the wickets. But we kept bowling that and eventually got the results and yes, we won. [Personal life, change of franchise and engagement, and the support of his partner] I mean, God has been really grateful and kind to me. I’ve got a really nice partner. She’s very supportive and always helps me stay in the right mindset. So yes, a lot credit goes to her as well, the way I am on the field depends a lot on how I’m working off the field. So yes, it’s been very exciting and I’m loving it. [Engagement at Mount Maunganui beach and the memorable setting] Can’t ask for a better view to do that. I was pretty tense but yes, the view helped and it feels pretty nice."

Gurnoor Brar was named Player of the Series for his terrific bowling throughout the series.