12 Dec 2010

Black Caps head home with tails between legs

6:12 am on 12 December 2010

Ravichandran Ashwin led a devastating spin attack as the Indian cricket team thrashed New Zealand by eight wickets in the fifth and final one-dayer in Chennai for a 5-0 clean sweep of the series.

The off-spinner grabbed three wickets for 24 off eight overs to help the hosts bowl the Black Caps out for a measly 103 before India coasted to the target with almost 29 overs to spare.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori says there's no point in dwelling on the humiliating whitewash in India and the Black Caps are already focusing on hosting Pakistan in the upcoming tour.

New Zealand have now lost 11 straight one-dayers, just two short of their worst ever losing streak and while conceding the series whitewash was humiliating, Vettori says the Black Caps must move on.

The series whitewash was their second in a row, having lost 4-0 to Bangladesh in a preceding one-day tournament.

For India, it was their second clean sweep at home since their 5-0 triumph over England in 2008.