Bulawayo: Amit Mishra's spinned a web around Zimbabwe batsmen and scalped six wickets to restrict the hosts to a platry total of 163 runs and later Shikhar Dhawan (41), Ajinkya Rahane (50) and Ravindra Jadeja (48) batted sensibly to give India a seven-wicket win in the final ODI of the five-match series here on Saturday.
India bowled out Zimbabwe in 39.5 overs after opting to bowl and then chased down the small target comfortably with 16 overs to spare. With this victory, India also created history by recording their first-ever five-match ODI series whitewash on foreign soil.
Meanwhile, Amit Mishra also equalled the world record for most wickets in a bilateral ODI series. Mishra took 18 wickets, equalling the record held by Javagal Srinath.
It also proved to be a good match for Ajinkya Rahane, who was playing in his first match of the series, as he top-scored with a 66-ball 50 with the help of four boundaries and a six. He shared a crucial 71-run partnership for the third wicket with Ravindra Jadeja (not out 48 from 77 balls) and steered India to a comfortable win.
Jadeja too was in sublime touch and he ended the match with a six as India reached 167 for three in 34 overs.
Earlier opting to bowl, Indians had the hosts on back-foot from the very first over. Sean Williams (51) was the only Zimbabwean batsman to put up a fight before the Indian bowlers.
Zimbabwe's collapse started early as their opener Vusi Sibanda (5) was caught behind the stumps by Dinesh Karthik off Jaydev Unadkat in the fourth over. Though Hamilton Masakadza tried to anchor the innings, Ravindra Jadeja struck to uproot his stumps and thereafter it was India's way all through.
Brendan Taylor again failed with the bat as he was caught by Suresh Raina at second slip off Mohit Sharma for a duck. And once Mishra sent Williams back to the pavilion, Zimbabwe failed to put any resistance further.