After Kiwis had lost series decider (3rd ODI) on Monday, NZ skipper Kane Williamson had said that the visitors taught his squad a lesson. Three days later in the fourth and and the penultimate One Day International match on Thursday, pacer Trent Boult's carnage proved that his team has learned the lesson well as they won the 4th ODI by eight wickets.
"We didn't expect the surface to behave like this. Nice to restrict them to a 90-odd total. It stood up a little bit and nipped a bit. It spun as well. One of those days, things went well," Willimason said at the post-match presentation.
"Credit to the areas the guys bowled. We always wanted early wickets, to be able to that was a real step at the right direction. It was swinging, that was a weapon we wanted to use.
"Because we were able to put India under pressure, we were able to pick regular wickets. We exploited the conditions really well and chased down nicely as well. We always play to win and today was an outstanding performance," Williamson said.
The final and the fifth ODI between India and New Zealand will take place in Wellington. The Kiwis will hope to end the series on a positive note with ICC World Cup just few months away.
"We'll be on a different surface at Wellington. Cricket will be different. Great to have a win today... Against a team like India, it's going to be a strong challenge. He (Henry Nicholls) played beautifully, it was challenging. Guptill whacked it around and other guys chipped in well. This is an opportunity to play against best team in the world - great opportunity to improve," he said.