Auckland, March 14:

Part-time bowler and big-hitting batsman Jesse Ryder stood out as New Zealand’s champion in an eight-wicket win over India in the fifth and final one-day cricket international on Saturday.

Ryder took 3-29 and then belted 63 off 49 balls as New Zealand cantered home with nearly 20 overs in hand. The win saved New Zealand from the embarrassment of a whitewash as India took the series 3-1 with one game abandoned.

After rain delayed the start and reduced the match to 43 overs each, India were still unable to go the distance and were all out in the 37th over for just 149 after Ryder ripped out the middle order. They still felt they had an inkling of a chance, when New Zealand’s reply stumbled in the third over with Brendon McCullum bowled by Praveen Kumar.

But McCullum’s departure brought Martin Guptill to the crease and the game quickly disappeared from India’s grasp. New Zealand raced to 93 in the 15th over, when Sharma finally broke through. Ryder played on to his wicket, bringing an end to a whirlwind innings which included six fours and four sixes. Guptill and Ross Taylor took 50 balls to knock off the remaining 56 runs with Guptill ending the match with a six and four off the last two deliveries from Sharma to finish unbeaten on 57 while Taylor made 28.

Earlier, opener Virender Sehwag responded with his customary explosive start. He belted Kyle Mills for six over the cover boundary from the second ball he faced, and the fifth ball he received from Mills received similar treatment. But the New Zealand new-ball bowler had Gautam Gambhir caught behind for five, leaving India one down for 30 in the fifth over.

Sehwag continued in cavalier fashion and in one over from Iain O’Brien he went four, six, four in consecutive balls. The game changed when Jacob Oram claimed Suresh Raina for eight with his fourth ball and in his second over took the prized wicket of Sehwag.

Sehwag scored 40 off 27, including three fours and three sixes. In the space of six overs, India lost three wickets for 23 runs. Ryder’s first victim was Yuvraj

Singh (11). Dhoni (9) was bowled by Ryder and Yusuf Pathan lasted four balls, and India were reeling at 111-6 after 25 overs. Rohit Sharma ended up as top scorer with an unbeaten 43.

The teams now move to Hamilton for the first Test starting on Wednesday.

SCOREBOARD

INDIA

G Gambhir c McGlashan b Mills 5

V Sehwag c McCullum b Oram 40

S Raina c Styris b Oram 8

R Sharma not out 43

Y Singh c McGlashan b Ryder 11

M Dhoni b Ryder 9

Y Pathan b Ryder 0

H Singh run out 1

Z Khan run out 5

P Kumar c McGlashan b O’Brien 6

I Sharma c Taylor b O’Brien 3

Extras: 18 (lb 9, w 9)

Total 149 (36.3)

FoW: 1-30, 2-65, 3-69, 4-88, 5-110, 6-111, 7-116, 8-131, 9-143

New Zealand bowling: Mills 7-0-27-1, O’Brien 7.3-0-43-2, Oram 9-0-22-2,

Ryder 9-0-29-3, Vettori 4-0-19-0

NEW ZEALAND

J Ryder b Ishant 63

B McCullum b Kumar 2

M Guptill not out 57

R Taylor not out 28

Extras: 1 (w 1)

Total: 151-2 (23.2 overs)

FoW: 1-9, 2-93

India bowling: Kumar 4-0-22-1,

Khan 8-1-51-0, Sharma 7.2-1-63-1,

Harbhajan 4-0-15-0