Ravichandran Ashwin led a devastating spin attack as a second-string India thrashed New Zealand by eight wickets in the fifth and final one-day international yesterday for a 5-0 series clean sweep.
The off-spinner grabbed three for 24 off eight overs to help the hosts bowl out New Zealand for 103 before India coasted to victory with almost 29 overs to spare.
Part-time spinners Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan chipped in with two wickets apiece as New Zealand were bundled out for their lowest total in one-day internationals against India.
Parthiv Patel (56 not out) added 97 for the third wicket with Yuvraj (42 not out) to guide India to a comfortable win in Chennai.
New Zealand suffered their second series whitewash on the trot, having lost 4-0 to Bangladesh in a preceding one-day tournament.
India’s chase was rocked by early setbacks with captain Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli being dismissed inside the first four overs.
Gambhir edged Nathan McCullum off the third ball of the innings and Kohli was snapped up in the slips off Daniel Vettori.
Patel survived some early jitters to hit six fours and a six in his 70-ball knock. Yuvraj, named man-of-the-match, smashed six fours and two sixes off 46 balls.
Nothing went right for New Zealand after Vettori won the toss and elected to bat.
Fast bowler Praveen Kumar struck in the first over, removing Martin Guptill before left-arm paceman Ashish Nehra dismissed Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor in successive overs.
The Indian spinners then got into action, accounting for the rest of the seven wickets to fall.
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