India crushes NZ by 8 wickets to win ODI series

RAIPUR, India (AP) — India crushed New Zealand by eight wickets and sealed their one-day international cricket series with a match to spare on Saturday.

New Zealand was never going to be able to defend 108 runs — its third worst ODI total against Inda — and India rubbed them out in just 20.1 overs at 111-2. Captain Rohit Sharma made a 51-ball 50 and Shubman Gill was 40 not out.

The player of the match was Mohammed Shami for taking 3-18 in six overs. Fellow pacer Mohammed Siraj took 1-10 from his six.

“Shami and Siraj wanted to go on for longer spells but I told them there's a big test series coming up (against Australia next month),” Sharma said. “I had to step in and say, ‘Boss. there are other bowlers as well.’”

New Zealand batted second on Wednesday and came up 12 runs short. On Saturday, the visitors were made to bat first and couldn't handle the pacers.

They were 15-5 inside 11 overs.

Shami bowled Finn Allen for a five-ball duck and accepted a return catch from Daryl Mitchell on 1.

Siraj had Henry Nicholls caught at slip for 2.

Hardik Pandya took a splendid one-handed low return catch to dismiss Devon Conway for 7.

Shardul Thakur dismissed skipper Tom Latham on 1.

Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner prevented total embarrassment from the visitors with respective scores of 36, 22 and 27.

Bracewell was caught behind in the 19th over off Shami.

Phillips combined with Santner to get the total past 100 but Santner was bowled by Pandya and offspinner Washington Sundar's two late wickets included Phillips.

New Zealand was all out in 34.3 overs.

In reply, Sharma and Gill coasted to a 72-run opening stand. Sharma scored his half-century off 47 balls, including seven fours and two sixes. He was lbw to Henry Shipley.

Santner bagged Virat Kohli again, stumped on 11, but India wrapped up the series comfortably.

The third and last ODI is in Indore on Tuesday.

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