New Zealand 94 and 160 for 6 (Fleming 32, Oram 26*; Nehra 3-34) beat India 99 and 154 by four wickets to win the series 2-0
Scorecard

On an absolutely gripping final day dominated by the youth brigade on either side, it was the homegrown variety that prevailed in a tight finish. The result was still in limbo just after lunch when Scott Styris departed with 24 still needed but Jacob Oram's unflappable and uncomplicated batting led his team to a four-wicket victory, and a deserved 2-0 series triumph.

He defused much of the tension with an off-drive for four off Harbhajan Singh and a superb square-drive off Ashish Nehra. India had perhaps their last chance when Robbie Hart popped one up onto the legside off bat and pad, but Sanjay Bangar's throw at the striker's end missed and with no one backing up, the four overthrows epitomised India's day. A few minutes later, Hart tucked a Nehra delivery down to square leg to spark off the celebrations.

That the match went to the wire was largely down to the efforts of Nehra in the morning session. Zaheer Khan had been India's best bowler, by a block or two, thus far in the series, but when it mattered most, he lost his groove. Harbhajan Singh, India's other strike weapon, was similarly erratic and it was left to Nehra, who certainly got his groove back, to lead the ultimately futile show of defiance.

After a year spent wallowing in underachievement, he chose the perfect stage to announce his resurrection as a Test match bowler, bowling beautifully in a marathon 10-over spell in the morning. He picked up three crucial wickets as the fate of the match swung this way and that like a pendulum gone crazy.

India struck early, in the third over of the morning. Tinu Yohannan, who had bowled without an iota of luck on the third evening, got one to shape away just a touch and Lou Vincent, on 9, obliged by flirting with danger. Parthiv Patel took the regulation catch (30 for 1).

Stephen Fleming started confidently, stroking Zaheer for three fours in an over -- an on-drive, an off-drive and a deflection between slips and gully. Yohannan, after the early breakthrough, struggled with his line and length to the left-handers, not making them play as much as he might have.

Zaheer was disappointing in his opening three-over burst and Ganguly switched to Nehra at the Members' End. In his second over, he had Mark Richardson playing in no-man's-land and edging one behind the stumps to Patel. Richardson made 28 and his departure was a massive blow for New Zealand (52 for 2).

Thereafter, New Zealand made slow but inexorable progress towards their target with Fleming leading by example, on-driving Zaheer – re-introduced at the City End -- for four before opening the face cleverly to run Harbhajan's first delivery down to the third-man boundary. Harbhajan was given the ball only 85 minutes into the session and that delay could have had an influence on the outcome.

Craig McMillan, in the middle of a shocking run of form, was clearly the soft target and though he got off the mark with a tuck behind square leg for four off Yohannan, he was decidedly fortunate when a Nehra delivery flew off the gloves, via the back of the bat, over Patel's head as he tried to sway out of playing a stroke. He rubbed it in with a huge six over long-on off Harbhajan.

Just when things were looking grim, Nehra struck gold with a short-pitched ball. Fleming's attempt at a pull was unconvincing and the top edge lobbed up gently to short mid-on where Zaheer took the catch, after first avoiding a collision with the bowler (89 for 3). Fleming made 32 and his exit exposed a middle-order that was short on confidence and form.

Despite a marathon spell, Nehra was showing no signs of fatigue and there were more high jinks soon after. He got one to nip back sharply and trap McMillan, who made 18, plumb in front of the stumps (90 for 4). It was his third wicket and largely down to the beautiful rhythm he was able to strike up.

Nathan Astle flattered to deceive in his cameo of 14 but an attempted pull off Zaheer edged New Zealand nearer the precipice. The ball flew off the gloves down the legside and diminutive Patel dived full-length to his left to snaffle one inches from the ground, before being mobbed by teammates for his moment of acrobatic excellence. It left the match beautifully balanced at lunch but then, Oram and Styris combined for a 31-run partnership that proved to be decisive. Styris made 17 before top-edging Harbhajan behind the stumps, but Oram and Hart stuck around to deliver the coup de grace.

The Indians could have few complaints. When such a highly-rated batting line-up totals 540 runs over four innings, no matter how challenging the conditions, excuses are scarce. The bowlers saved face in this match but ultimately, it wasn't good enough. Talent, whatever that means, can only take you so far. In India's case, it appears it can't take them anywhere outside of the subcontinent.

Dileep Premachandran is assistant editor of Wisden.com in India

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