INDIA VS NEWZELAND 4th ODI highlights

Bangalore: Having already clinched the series with an unassailable 3-0 lead, stand-in captain Gautam Gambhir is eyeing a clean sweep as India take on New Zealand in the fourth ODI in Bangalore on Tuesday.

"Our target is to win all five games. The team that plays better cricket in the 100 overs will win. We are looking forward towards performing well and hopefully we will keep the momentum going. We need to maintain the same intensity with which we played the earlier three matches," Gambhir told the media persons on Monday on the eve of the penultimate one-dayer.

Gambhir, however, refused to divulge about the playing XI and said that he would take a call after consultation with the coach.

The Delhi lad praised his teammates and said that at this point of time there aren't any such area where improvement is needed.

"We are always tested in international cricket. It is not that we have not got runs at the top of the order. But I must say that the bowlers have done well in all the matches where conditions were different. Be it the flat tracks in Jaipur or the seaming wicket in Vadodara, they have done well for us. Bowlers deserve the maximum credit for us winning the series ," the skipper said.

"In the next two outings, all we need to do is to play to our potential. We should stick to our strengths and hopefully we will win," he said.

Gambhir also ruled out any chance of complacency and stressed on the fact they needed to field their best side in order to win.

"It is a young side and we have some experienced players in the squad too. It is an international game and we need to field a best team. It is not like that we have won the series and we will be taking things lightly," he sounded cautious.

"The good thing is that we don't take any game lightly.

"In the due course, if youngsters get an opportunity, I think they need to grab it. Right now, we would like to field the best amongst the available lot for the match."

When asked whether team's bowling in the slog over is a concern, the southpaw said, "It is difficult for bowlers to contain with the old ball and it applies more so in third powerplay as well. It is always difficult for bowlers in such situations in one-day games."

Although it is a known fact that some of the juniors will have to again warm the benches when the seniors like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina come back, Gambhir feels that everyone should get enough opportunities to prove their worth at the international level.

"They have done it in the past and I think they should get enough opportunity to express themselves in international cricket. For example, if you see, Ravindra Jadeja or Yusuf Pathan have not got enough opportunities with the bat."

"Pathan had batted in the last 10 overs only. He has not got enough chance to take on the bowlers. We can still think of giving them the opportunity by putting them in early so that they can use those chances to their advantage."

"If you have watched the first game, you will find that Yusuf batted with tail-enders. He was in a situation that he had to go after each and every delivery."

He said, "I may just ensure that Yusuf gets to bat with the top-order so that he can play enough deliveries and use his destructive batsmanship to good effect."

The skipper termed the Baroda batsman as a match-winner.

"He is a match-winner. I would personally see what's the situation in our tie tomorrow. The top four have really done well and I do not think Pathan could be brought up in that order. If the situation arises, we might promote him at number five."

When the skipper was asked about his splendid return to form with back-to-back centuries, he replied, "I think I had always been saying that the captain is as good as the team."

"I have got such quality in the side that I do not need to do much. Bowlers like Zaheer, Ashish and Munaf have played enough international matches and Yuvraj has been of great help to me in the middle. If I need to take any suggestions, I know that there is someone to whom I can walk up to."

"I have enough players in the side to deliver for me and I must say that I am lucky as to having such a great bunch of guys and I always believed that the captain is as good as his team. It's not the captain only who wins you a game but the team effort is the main reason.

"I have enjoyed captaincy. It is a responsibility and to live to the best of my ability and hopefully I can continue in the next two games."

INDIA VS NEWZELAND 4th ODI Live Streaming

Bangalore: With an unassailable lead in hand, the rampaging Indian cricket team will now push for a series whitewash when it takes on a grossly mismatched New Zealand in the inconsequential fourth cricket one-dayer of the five-match rubber here on Tuesday.

Stand-in skipper Gautam Gambhir has led from the front with back-to-back centuries to inflict one of the worst series defeats on the visitors in the two countries' bilateral history which dates back to 1975-76.

The second string team's exemplary performance in the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh has also given a boost to the side's World Cup aspirations.

The young players such as Virat Kohli, Murali Vijay and Saurabh Tiwary have made an impact and would have impressed regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni just a couple of months ahead of the World Cup being hosted in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Chairman of the national selection panel, Krish Srikkanth, said the youngsters have done well for themselves and their performance has shown that team's World Cup preparations are going according to plan.

"Youngsters in the team have proved that the bench strength is good. It is important that we keep winning all our matches up to the end of the World Cup," Srikkanth said ahead of the match.

"Overall, I am confident that the players will perform to their potential and keep the momentum. I am glad that the preparation for the World Cup is on the right track," he said.

As for Tuesday's match, the Indian players are an upbeat lot and would be looking to keep the momentum going for a whitewash.

Despite being a second-string side, the Indians have proved themselves better on all counts against a short-of-confidence New Zealand, which came here after being hammered 0-4 by minnows Bangladesh.

The Indian line-up has not exactly missed the dashing Virender Sehwag or the reliable Sachin Tendulkar as the likes of Virat Kohli have stepped in effortlessely against a rather ineffective Kiwi attack.

Kohli, who has been in good nick in the domestic circuit, has been solid so far along with Murali Vijay.

The Indian bowling has been spearheaded well by senior pacer Zaheer Khan along with the spinners. Young off-spinner R Ashwin has, in fact, managed to make quite an impact but he has to be more economical in the middle overs.

The Kiwis, on the other hand, have been struggling and skipper Daniel vettori has to do a lot of head-scratching to find a way out of the slump that has gripped the team after a fighting performance in the Test series.

Vettori and his men would be desperate to regain confidence which has been dented severely by three defeats on the trot.

The key to it is a solid batting performance and the visitors will look towards Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum to give them the rare cracking start. Ross Taylor and Scott Styris can consolidate from there on.

Kiwi new ball bowlers Kyle Mills and Andy McKay and one-change pacer James Franklin have the ability to disturb any combination along with Vettori but the quartet has so far struggled on pitches which have always been a batsman's delight.