India opener Shikhar Dhawan credited the bowlers’ effort for the six-wicket win over New Zealand in the second ODI on Wednesday, stating that the game was won at the end of the first innings with the opposition restricted to a paltry 230.

Shikhar Dhawan, who struck a well-paced 68 to get India off to a good start, told the media: “230 is not too much in these times. The bowlers bowled really well and the fielders backed them up well. The bowlers had done half the job actually for us.”

While Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah rattled the top order, the spinners ensured the runs dried up in the middle overs. The pressure kept piling on the Kiwi batsmen, who never bounced back. Dhawan, however, was surprised New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson opted to bat on winning the toss.

“There was no seam movement when India bowled, that’s what I think. I guess we played their pacers better than they (played our pacers),” he said. “I was a bit surprised with their decision to bat first because there could be dew in the evening usually during this time.

“But it wasn’t a bad track to bat on even in the first innings. When we were batting we thought it slowed down a bit, the ball wasn’t coming that nicely, the way it should.”

New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner said: “Credit has to go to India the way they bowled in the start and put us under pressure. Losing the first three (wickets) in the first 10 overs is not ideal if you’re batting first. We knew 230 was a little under-par and then the way they came out and batted took the game away from us.”

Santner was confident his side would use their experience and hopefully clinch the series by winning the final game in Kanpur, having lost 2-3 last year.