Harmanpreet Kaur hit a crucial half-century to help India overcome New Zealand in the series-ending fifth ODI here on Thursday. The Indian bowlers, who had struggled earlier to the game, ultimately came together to restrict New Zealand to 251 for nine in 50 overs.

Harmanpreet Singh's 63 off 66 balls and Smriti Mandhana's 71 off 84 balls helped India reach the goal in 46 overs. Mithali Raj, the captain, stayed undefeated on 57 off 66 balls.

After losing the one-off T20 and the first four ODIs, India desperately needed a win to gain momentum heading into the ODI World Cup next month.

The spinners, who struggled to provide the breakthroughs, shared seven wickets among themselves on Thursday.

Deepti Sharma, Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Sneh Rana took two wickets each while pacer Meghna Singh too was impressive in the five overs she bowled.

Star batter Mandhana, who had missed the first three ODIs and the T20 due to an extended stay in quarantine, also got some valuable time in the middle.

The ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year collected nine fours in her 84-ball effort.

Harmanpreet must be relieved after scoring her first fifty in close to 12 months.

She expertly used the sweep stroke to gather a slew of boundaries before finishing with a pull shot to achieve the half-century mark.

If India is to compete for the global crown, it must maintain consistent performances like the one it displayed on Thursday.

"We've improved in the last few games, which is a good sign heading into the World Cup. It was critical to have adequate preparation prior to the main tournament. Due to the increasing number of Omicron cases, we were unable to secure the camps in India "Mithali stated this during the post-match presentation.

"The wicket appeared to be batting-friendly, but the bowlers performed admirably today. Our fielding is an area where we need to improve. When I retire after this tournament, I will see that the squad has grown significantly stronger with the addition of new players "She continued.