India captain Gautam Gambhir was elated after his team completed a 5-0 whitewash of New Zealand by winning the fifth and the final ODI by eight wickets here on Friday.
“We were up to it, it was fantastic to see the bowlers performing even after sealing the series 4-0. Always exciting to play for the country. I thought the wicket would turn in the second innings, but it started turning in the first over of the match itself. The fast bowlers deserve a lot of credit as well,” said Gambhir, who was adjudged as Man of the Match.
“Everyone performed, credit goes to the entire team, I always felt we had the talent to win 5-0. Really excited about my first Test series against South Africa. Hopefully I can do well,” he added.
Man of the Match Yuvraj Singh said: “Have been working hard for the six-eight months, and it’s paying off now. Playing domestic cricket has definitely helped a lot. I am very happy with this clean sweep. Hopefully by the World Cup I’ll be completely fit.”
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori said it was a difficult wicket to bat on.
“We thought we would put up a decent score, but India played really well. When you continue to lose wickets, it takes the entire momentum away. Important series against Pakistan coming up. Franklin’s form has been pleasing,” he said.