Fleming calls for investigations

Another one-dayer, another dog of a pitch.

That has been the case for most of the one-day series between New Zealand and India which ended on Tuesday with the home side winning the seventh and final match by six wickets and taking the series 5-2.

In a typical low-scoring game, India were skittled out for 122 and New Zealand replied with 125 for four, Stephen Fleming leading the way with 60 not out.

He was only the fourth New Zealander to top 50 in the series while on the Indian side, bowled out four times for scores in the low hundred, five batsmen averaged single figures, including Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly.

Skipper Fleming said: "It's been a very difficult summer for our batting unit, full stop. We have our techniques scrutinised on wickets that have been very, very bowler-friendly and that's often been overlooked, which peeves us a bit.

"The surfaces need to be looked at a lot more closely. You start questioning your belief on the sort of poor surfaces we have experienced.

"I think it's fair to say the wickets throughout the summer have been below par, it's as simple as that."

He added: " I'm going to keep talking about belief. We've got a good side and I'm going to keep hammering it. I believe in these guys.

"We've beaten a very good side in tough conditions and there's no reason in better conditions we can't play even better.

"I'll probably be criticised somewhere tomorrow for saying it, but I believe in these guys and that's what's going to win us the World Cup and I'd be glad if other people came along for the ride."

Indian captain Ganguly felt it was time Indian cricket recovered from this loss, starting with their trip home for a 10 day rest before leaving for South Africa and the World Cup.

"We've been to South Africa before where we've got runs," he said. "So it' s not like it can't happen, but it's got to happen again.

"We've got to forget the bad times which we've had in this series and look forward. I'm convinced we'll have a good World Cup despite what's happened here. You have bad times, which means you look forward even more to the good times."

India also lost the test series to New Zealand 2-0.