Jasprit Bumrah produced his best performance of the series so far as India eked out a seven-run win in the fifth and final T20 of the series against New Zealand to complete a record 5-0 sweep in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.
Bumrah finished with figures of 3-12 as India, who made 163-3, restricted the Kiwis to 156-9. They thus became the first team in international cricket to win a bilateral T20 series 5-0.
India's total seemed below par and it was only a last over burst from Manish Pandey that took them past the 160-run mark. But the Indian bowlers made the perfect start with the ball, Bumrah bowling a wicket maiden to get the dangerous Martin Guptill and Washington Sundar castling the in-form Colin Munro.
A counter-attacking fourth wicket stand of 99 between Tim Seifert (50) and Ross Taylor (53) took the match away from the Indians in the middle overs. The game seemed well and truly done in the 10th over as Seifert and Taylor blasted all-rounder Shivam Dube for 34 runs after hitting him for four sixes and two fours. The equation came down from 100 needed in 66 balls to 66 required in 60.
But India knew they only needed one wicket to cause panic in the Kiwi camp that had already squandered winning positions in the previous two T20s, losing both in a super over.
Speedster Navdeep Saini gave them the breakthrough, getting Seifert to pop one to mid-wicket in the 13th over before Bumrah got Daryl Mitchell bowled with a perfect yorker in the next to reduce the hosts to 119-5. The equation came down to 35 needed from the last four overs and from there on, it was India all the way.
Shardul Thakur bowled the decisive 17th over. First he deceived Mitchell Santner with a slower one to get caught at long on before bouncing out Scott Kuggeleijn in the same over to swing the match in India's favour.
Saini then removed the well-set Taylor with a wide full delivery before Bumrah finished the game off in the 19th over, rattling the stumps of Tim Southee with another yorker.
Thakur had to defend 21 from the last six balls and even though Ish Sodhi hit him for two sixes, he held his nerve to complete the victory.
Earlier, India's total was set up by another fine innings from opener KL Rahul (45) and stand-in captain Rohit Sharma (60). Rohit had to retire hurt due to a calf injury and that will be a concern for India ahead of a hectic limited overs season.
