Oram took five wickets and top-scored with 27

Jacob Oram starred with bat and ball as New Zealand secured a three-wicket victory over India in a low-scoring opening one-day international.

The home side needed less than 38 overs to overcome India's paltry total of 108.

But they lost seven wickets in the process, relying on Oram, whose five wickets destroyed the Indian middle order, to top-score with 27.

Javagal Srinath took four wickets, including two in a single over to leave the Black Caps 52 for two at one point.

But Oram and Kyle Mills shared a seventh-wicket partnership of 34 to get the innings back on track.

Mills was dismissed by Srinath for 21 before Oram and Daniel Vettori steered the Kiwis home.

Oram took five wickets for 26 runs to force an Indian collapse, leaving them 79 for eight off 25 overs.

The tourists were hit by injury problems with batsman Sachin Tendulkar ruled out with a sprained ankle, Sanjay Bangar with a knee injury and spinner Harbhajan Singh with a hand injury.

Srinath took four wickets to make the Kiwis struggle

Virender Sehwag was out in the second over of the day. After bowling three no balls, paceman Shane Bond bowled the opener for nought with a fast inswinger.

VVS Laxman also continued his struggle for form on tour, scoring just nine before he top-edged a hook off Daryl Tuffey and was caught on the fine leg boundary.

Opener Shiv Sunder Das, a late replacement for Tendulkar, looked to be resurrecting the innings with captain Sourav Ganguly, the pair adding 35 before both fell in the space of three balls.

Das was caught at first slip for 30 by Stephen Fleming as he tried to cut a wide ball from Kyle Mills.

Oram cut through the middle order, removing Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh in the space of four balls.

Ganguly played on to his stumps for 14 and Yuvraj was caught at slip for two.

Oram then removed Mohammad Kaif for six and Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath, both without scoring.

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Mathew Sinclair, Lou Vincent, Craig McMillan, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, Shane Bond, Paul Hitchcock (12th man).

India: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif, VVS Laxman, Shiv Sunder Das, Yuvraj Singh, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Ajit Agarkar (12th man).