Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], January 19 (ANI): Following India's first-ever ODI series loss to New Zealand at home, former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin felt that India's response to challenges posed by the Kiwis looked a 'bit flat' and he feels that the visitors have won the series by '5-0'.

It was a historic occasion for a Michael Bracewell-led Kiwis, deprived of several of their key players, as Daryl Mitchell, Jayden Lennox, Glenn Phillips and Kristian Clarke delivered fine performances, helping NZ bounce back after a loss in the first ODI to secure the other two ODIs.

In the final ODI, the Kiwis posted 337/8 in the first innings and had India at 71/4, but Virat Kohli (124), Nitish Kumar Reddy (53) and Harshit Rana (52) threatened to pull things back. However, timely wickets earned the Kiwis a 41-run win, and they went on to win the series 2-1.

For the first time since 1988 in ODIs, NZ pulled off a series win in India, coming over a year after a 3-0 Test whitewash in 2024, which marked India's first Test series loss at home in 12 years.

Speaking during 'Ash ki Baat', Ashwin said, 'Everything will be forgotten now. There is the T20 World Cup and the IPL now. So, if the environment is there, things will go accordingly. We all know this. But if the T20 World Cup does not go well and people do not perform in the IPL too, there will be pressure on them. But if everything goes well, this series will be forgotten. In my books, New Zealand won the series 5-0. They won two but threatened to win one more too, so it was actually a sweep.'

Ashwin said he did not know whether India was ready or not, or whether there was a lack of preparation, but he felt the response by Team India was flat.

'I thought if India even plays their B or C teams, they can beat sides. I am a little worried now that this has nothing to do with the team's quality. Looking from the outside, I think the Indian team's response has been a bit flat. That response is not there. Always, when the team has been put under pressure, the Indian team has found ways in the past and has shown that habit. I just felt that the response felt flat, and that was disappointing. I do not think we put them under pressure. We played very soft cricket,' he concluded.

Centuries from Daryl Mitchell (137*) and Glenn Phillips (106) took NZ to 337/8, despite three wickets from Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. After being reduced to 5/2 and later 58/3, the duo put on a 219-run stand that put the Kiwis in a commanding position.

In the chase, India was down at 71/4, but an entertaining 88-run stand between Virat and Nitish Kumar Reddy (53 in 57 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and a 99-run stand between Virat and Harshit Rana (52 in 43 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) gave India hope, with Virat producing a masterclass 108-ball 124 to the delight of Indore crowd.

However, once he was gone, it was curtains for India, who were all out for 296 in 46 overs, handing NZ the series 1-2. (ANI)