During the third ODI in Christchurch, when New Zealand still had a chance of winning the series, Mahendra Singh Dhoni was forced into a move he had been reluctant to make, especially given the short boundaries. When Munaf Patel began the 45th over, New Zealand needed 71 with two wickets in hand to chase down an improbable 392. The first ball went for a six, the second and fourth were beamers, after which Munaf had to be taken off, forcing Dhoni to turn to Yusuf Pathan for the first time that night.
The next four deliveries produced a single, a dot ball, another dot ball, and a wicket. The game had turned. Amid the excitement created by Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, and the rest of India's batting line-up, a part-timer had provided the small, final turning point of the match. New Zealand would not have spent sleepless nights over that dismissal - Kyle Mills had to go for everything at that point - but they will be concerned that India's fifth-bowler combine of Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf has outbowled their combination of Jacob Oram, Grant Elliot and Jesse Ryder. And irritatingly for New Zealand, it has been an important factor in this series.
