New Zealand produced a dominant bowling display to defeat India in 4th ODI and hand the visitors a heavy defeat. Matt Henry led the attack with a six-wicket haul, while Matthew Fisher added three wickets as India were bowled out cheaply.
Earlier, New Zealand recovered from a shaky middle phase to post 333. Will Young anchored the innings with a determined century after surviving two chances. The hosts then used the pace and bounce effectively to put India under immediate pressure.
New Zealand made a strong start as Tim Seifert and Will Young added 85 runs for the opening wicket. India eventually broke through, reducing the hosts to 125/3.
However, Finn Allen joined Young and the pair added another 90 runs. Young survived two chances in successive deliveries, but India paid heavily for those missed opportunities.
The right-hander converted his reprieves into a century and kept the innings moving. New Zealand also received useful contributions from the lower order.
Mitchell Santner, Michael Clarke and Kyle Jamieson added valuable runs late in the innings. Their efforts pushed New Zealand to 333.
Axar Patel was India’s most economical bowler, while Auqib Nabi and Gurnoor Brar claimed two wickets each. Kuldeep Yadav had a difficult outing, but Arshdeep Singh and Dhir recovered some ground during the death overs.
India’s missed chances, particularly early in the innings, ultimately proved costly.
India’s chase suffered a major setback from the opening over.
Matt Henry removed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer without conceding a run. The fast bowler immediately exposed India’s struggles against the movement and bounce on offer.
Ruturaj Gaikwad also failed to settle. Kyle Jamieson then joined Henry in applying pressure, leaving India at 9/4.
Axar Patel and Ishan Kishan briefly resisted the collapse. They added 44 runs and gave India some hope of recovery.
However, Matthew Fisher broke the partnership before Henry returned for another spell.
The New Zealand quick continued to attack India lower order and completed his six-wicket haul in 4th ODI. India never managed to establish another meaningful partnership.
Henry’s spell proved decisive, but New Zealand’s overall bowling effort also played a major role. Fisher supported him with three wickets, while the rest of the attack maintained pressure throughout the innings.
India were eventually bowled out for their sixth-lowest ODI total. The defeat also ranks among their heaviest losses in the format by runs.
New Zealand, meanwhile, showed the value of disciplined pace bowling after posting a competitive total in 4th ODI against India. Young’s century gave them the platform, while Henry and Fisher ensured India never came close to mounting a serious chase.
The result underlined New Zealand’s control of the contest, with their pace attack dictating terms from the opening over until the final wicket.
