Matt Henry Takes 6 for 27 as New Zealand Bowl India Out for 89 to Win by 244 Runs

India slumped to a 244-run defeat against New Zealand in the fourth one-day international at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, on Friday 13 November. Set 334 to win after Will Young's 125 had taken the hosts to 333 all out, India lasted only 26.4 overs and were all out for 89. Matt Henry did most of the damage, returning a career-best 6 for 27. With one game left, India now lead the five-match series 2-1.

Young’s hundred

Stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and put New Zealand in. Young was dropped twice on 5 in the second over, first by Rohit Sharma at slip and then by wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, and went on to make 125 from 108 balls, his highest ODI score and his fifth century in the format. Tim Seifert made 58 from 48 balls, and Finn Allen hit 41 from 30, adding 90 with Young. Axar Patel took 2 for 39 from his 10 overs. Auqib Nabi and Gurnoor Brar took two wickets each, while Kuldeep Yadav conceded 73 runs in eight wicketless overs.

Three wickets in the first over

Chasing 334, India lost Rohit, Virat Kohli and Iyer in Henry’s opening over. Kohli was bowled and Iyer was out lbw. Kyle Jamieson then removed Ruturaj Gaikwad. The best resistance came from a fifth-wicket stand of 44 between Kishan and Axar, which ended when Matthew Fisher dismissed Axar for 21. Fisher finished with 3 for 31. Kishan, India’s top scorer with 27, was later bowled by Henry, who also took the last wicket. Henry admitted there had been “a bit of luck” in his spell, while Iyer pointed to “a huge difference” in the pitch between the two innings.

Record context

The 244-run margin is India’s second-heaviest ODI defeat by runs, one run short of their 245-run loss to Sri Lanka in Sharjah in 2000. The total of 89 is India’s sixth-lowest in one-day internationals and their lowest since they were bowled out for 88 by New Zealand in Dambulla in 2010.

Where the series stands

India won the first ODI in Auckland by five wickets and the second in Wellington by four runs on the DLS method, and the third in Hamilton was washed out. The fifth and final match is at Bay Oval on Sunday 15 November. New Zealand can no longer win the series, but a win would level it at 2-2.