Kiwis cruise after India collapse

India 122; New Zealand 125-4; NZ win by six wickets

India's batting again let them down as they crashed to a fifth one-day defeat in the final game of the seven-match series against New Zealand here yesterday. The tourists scored fewer than 130 runs for the fourth time in the series, setting the hosts a winning target of 122.

The New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, who had won the toss and put India in, knocked up an unbeaten 60 as the hosts cruised home in less than 29 overs for the loss of four wickets. Chris Cairns and Scott Styris also made double figures.

Andre Adams was the pick of the Kiwis attack, taking four for 21 to finish the series with 14 wickets from four matches.

Yuvraj Singh's 33 was India's top-scorer as they failed to bat out their overs for the fifth time. They made an horrendous start, crashing to 17 for 3, with Sachin Tendulkar out for a single and Virender Sehwag for four, while Dinesh Mongia did not even trouble the scorers.

India won the fifth and sixth matches in the series, but are distinctly short of form and confidence. The only consolation was that this was not their lowest score in the series. It was equal third worst – they recorded 108 twice, at Auckland and Christchurch, as well as posting 122 at Queenstown.