Cricket: India scrape home for first tour win

India ended a five-week wait with the first win on their cricket tour of New Zealand in a thrilling one-day international in Wellington today.

Before a better than expected crowd of 19,352, the Black Caps' hopes of a 7-0 whitewash went up in smoke as the tourists squeaked home in a low-scoring fifth match by two wickets.

Despite the return of Chris Cairns and Shane Bond to give New Zealand their strongest one-day side for nearly a year, they were far from convincing as they racked up just 168.

India reached the target in the 44th over thanks to a mature 54 off 85 balls from Yuvraj Singh, who added 44 for the ninth wicket with Zaheer Khan, who was unbeaten on his highest one-day score of 34 off 42 balls.

The match was evenly poised, but turned New Zealand's way with the most bizarre dismissal of Anil Kumble, who was fooled by a ball which slipped out of Andre Adams' hand, was forced back then clipped the stumps with his bat.

That made the total 116 for seven in the 30th over, and New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming went in for the kill, bowling out his pacemen and leaving spinner Daniel Vettori to deliver the dying overs.

Vettori removed Yuvraj to a sharp catch by Chris Harris with nine runs required, but Khan saw it home coolly.

Bond, Adams and Scott Styris all took two wickets apiece but they had little to defend.

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly may well have carried on out the front gates of Westpac Stadium when he wafted at the first ball of the innings from Daryl Tuffey and was caught behind.

He rightfully hung his head as his series score list grew to 14, nought, four, two and nought.

The long-awaited return of Indian megastar Sachin Tendulkar was a flop, a 10-ball duck before speedster Bond trapped him leg before wicket to a dubious call from umpire Brent Bowden.

Opener Virender Sehwag had the chase well on track, though, with 45 off 40 balls, including nine fours, but Styris made the key breakthrough by removing him then Rahul Dravid for seven as the match headed for the wire.

Earlier, New Zealand staggered to 168 after a horror start when three wickets tumbled for three runs.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Nathan Astle, Mathew Sinclair and Harris all departed inside the first four overs to left-armer Khan.

Astle and Harris were fairly adjudged leg before wicket by Bowden while Sinclair opted not to play a shot first ball and watched his off bail fizz into the air.

Cairns' 25 off 32 balls included four fours in a bright comeback from a nine-month absence from international cricket, although his right knee injury was still hampering his mobility.

Fleming helped him add 45 before Cairns was bowled by Javagal Srinath, then Fleming passed 5000 one-day runs before he was caught behind off Ashish Nehra for a battling 19 in 76 minutes.

Brendon McCullum and Styris added 41 then Adams demonstrated his hitting ability with three sixes and three fours in a brilliant cameo of 35 off 27 balls.

He and McCullum added 48 off 52 balls but the pair both departed in quick succession to quell any hopes of a 200-plus total, McCullum batting 102 minutes for 35 off 73 balls before being bowled around his legs by Anil Kumble.

Fleming said he wouldn't have chosen to bat first on a grassy surface under normal circumstances but, with the series won 4-0, he wanted to rehearse for the World Cup next month.

"We didn't deserve to win. We're not making light of an international game, but part of the exercise today was to predetermine things," Fleming said.

"There's been a massive amount of pressure on this side throughout the series, and you make mistakes under pressure.

"The players need to see it and feel it before the World Cup, and today was almost ideal, apart from not winning.

"I certainly wouldn't have batted first on that wicket, that decision was made three days ago."

Man-of-the-match Khan said there was a welcome, upbeat feeling in the tourists' dressing room.

"Everyone is really enjoying it. It's been very tough, we've been trying very hard in the last few weeks," he said.

"I'm very confident we'll come right and it will be a moral victory if we can beat them in the final two matches."

The next match is in Auckland on Saturday.

- NZPA