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India quickly put their humiliating defeat in the fourth ODI behind them, with stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer saying the team did not even discuss the 89-run collapse as they regrouped to beat New Zealand by 22 runs in the series decider and clinch the series 3-1.
India were bowled out for just 89 in the fourth ODI, suffering their second-biggest ODI defeat, but bounced back in the final match at Bay Oval on Sunday to defend a modest total of 209 and register their third bilateral ODI series win in New Zealand. "Honestly speaking, the next day we forgot about the loss. We didn't even discuss what happened. It was one odd game; we just had to brush it under the carpet and move on," Iyer said at the press conference after the match. Giving credit to New Zealand pacer Matt Henry for his performance in the fourth ODI, Iyer added, "That day Matt Henry was bowling gas. He was lethal, and he was bowling with venom, so I think credit where it's duehe was phenomenal with his performance, and we just accepted our loss and we moved on." Iyer, who captained India in the last two ODIs in the absence of regular skipper Shubman Gill, said the team's intensity and willingness to adapt to changing conditions had been central to its success across the tour, which also saw India win the T20I series. "Absolutely ecstatic, because coming overseas and winning a series is definitely a great achievement," he said. "So I think you reap the benefits of what you sow, and today is another example of how each and every individual in the team thinks," he added. India's batting struggled again in the fifth ODI, with the visitors reduced to 34 for three after early dismissals of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Iyer made 22, while Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel top-scored with 46 each to take India to 209 in 42.1 overs. New Zealand's bowlers also kept the Indian batters in check throughout the series, and Iyer acknowledged that batting had not clicked for either side. "Batting definitely didn't click for us, nor for them. But look at their bowling and our bowlingboth kept bowling consistently well, and the wicket was also predominantly supportive of bowlers," he said. "But the most important thing for us was to win the series, and we won, so after that we don't think too much about the rest. Definitely there will be takeaways; each individual will reflect on themselves, and we've also been playing for a very long time, so you also get mentally exhausted in a way the longer the series you play. So adaptability tooyou know, on every wicket there is a different challengebut keep learning, and definitely you accept the challenge and move on," he added. Iyer played down any impact of this series on the ODI World Cup, scheduled for next year in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. He said the weather and conditions there will be very different from here, and there is still time for the global tournament. "Right now we are in New Zealand, so we can't even compare it with South Africa. Nobody knows yet what will happen there it's still a year away, and the weather there will be different so we cannot compare this series with that," said Iyer. India's bowlers then delivered a disciplined performance to defend the target. Arshdeep Singh claimed three wickets, while Mohammed Siraj and Axar took two each as New Zealand were dismissed for 187 in 48.1 overs. Dean Foxcroft top-scored for the hosts with 31. Iyer also described his stint as stand-in captain as a learning experience, saying the demands of leading a side through 50 overs could be mentally exhausting. He said the team would reflect on its performances and continue to learn from the different challenges presented by each pitch. "I enjoyed the captaincy. I think I've captained enough now, but ODI is kind of challenging because you've got to constantly keep your mind working throughout 50 overs, and it's a bit exhausting. I experienced that in the first game, but today, there was a period where the game went slow, and it was going in rhythm. There was excitement, and then it went slow, but that's how you gauge the pace of the game, and it's a learning curve every day. So 50-50, one loss and one win, so kind of ecstatic," he said. India's series victory followed their T20I triumph, making it a successful white-ball tour of New Zealand. (ANI)
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