He didn’t get to a play a part in the Test series against New Zealand, but when Amit Mishra got a free hand in the ODIs, he left a strong mark. The senior leggie emptied his bag of tricks in front of a packed house at the ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam as he bamboozled the Kiwis, picking up his second five-for in the 50-over format. Giving away just 18 runs, Mishra ran through the lineup as New Zealand were bowled out in only 23.1 overs. Mishra, who holds the record for most wickets (18) in a five-match bilateral series, picked 15 this time to earn the Man of the Series award for the first time. Despite playing with the white ball, such was Mishra’s magic that his dismissals refreshed the memories of the struggles of Kiwi batsmen in the Test series against spin. Ross Taylor fell to his trademark cut shot when his outside edge was caught by MS Dhoni, BJ Watling was undone by a googly and James Neesham to classical leg spin when the ball that pitched outside off, sneaked through his defence to crash into the stumps. Mishra said as a senior, he had to lead from the front and continue picking wickets for the team. “As a senior bowler, I had the opportunity to talk to the youngsters in the side and share my knowledge. You can only make them understand, when you raise your game. If you lift your performance, they will get inspired and follow what you say. I also shared my inputs with captain MS Dhoni. I am very happy with the way I bowled today” Mishra told BCCI.TV after India’s thumping win. “In this series, I was always looking to take wickets. Yes, I did bowl according to the situation, but my objective was to go for wickets. If you look to contain, you are going to get hit. In the final, the bowling unit put up a very good show. We cut out the loose balls and stayed focused. The intensity was at another level and everyone wanted to give more than 100 per cent,” he added. While he was menacing on the field, Mishra said he remained positive and kept working on his bowling when he did not find a place in the XI in the three Tests. “My family members, my teammates have supported me a lot and they always told me to remain positive, which has played a big role.” Mishra, who has said that working with Anil Kumble has benefitted him immensely reiterated the support and encouraging words India’s Head Coach had for him. With the hosts resting senior players, Mishra said the series win and particularly the comprehensive show in the final was important to boost the morale of young players in the side. “This is a very crucial series win for us. We had a young group and it is important that their morale stays high. The series was leveled and this was the final and the kind of performance that the boys shown; bowling them out in just 24 overs is very important. Now, when they play for India again, they will know what needs to be done and how they can get better. This win has sent a positive message to the youngsters.”