Stand-in captain Rohit Sharma coined the Indian batsmen performances in Hamilton as one of their worst after their eight-wicket loss against New Zealand in the fourth ODI on Thursday (January 31).

Having already lost the series, the hosts made a statement with their showing at Seddon Park. In swinging conditions, Trent Boult’s fifer led the charge as the bowlers routed India for a mere 92 runs before chasing down the target in under 15 overs.

“(It was) One of our worst performances with the bat for a long time,” the Indian captain said at the post-match presentation.

“You got to give credit to the New Zealand bowlers. It was a magnificent effort. Something to learn for us. At times, you need to apply pressure. We need to blame ourselves for it.

“It was about applying ourselves. Once you get in, things will start to look easier. We played some bad shots as well. It's always challenging when the ball is swinging. Having a good run in the limited formats for a number of series. Everyone knows what went wrong. There will be times when it swings and we need to deal with it.”

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was surprised with the way the wicket behaved, considering it had assistance for the swing bowlers and spinners.

“We didn't expect the surface to behave like this,” the 28-year-old said.

“It stood up a little bit and nipped a bit. It spun as well. Credit to the areas guys bowled. We always wanted early wickets, to be able to do that was a real step in the right direction. It was swinging, that was a weapon we wanted to use.

“We always play to win and today was an outstanding performance. We'll be on a different surface at Wellington. Cricket will be different. Against a team like India, it's going to be a strong challenge.”

Trent Boult, who’s fifer left India’s top order in tatters, was happy about being able to exploit the favourable conditions available in the afternoon.

“It was nice to see the ball moving around, and make the most of it,” the player of the match said. "It swung around nicely. (It was) pretty satisfying to make most of it.

“It was good fun, and nice to bowl them out cheaply. I tried to pitch it up as much as possible. It was tough (to be 3-0 down in the series), but to pull it back is satisfying.”