India collapse for 89 as Matt Henry scripts New Zealand’s 244-run victory

New Zealand crushed India by 244 runs in the fourth ODI at Mount Maunganui, with Will Young scoring 125 and Matt Henry taking six wickets for 27 runs. India collapsed for 89, setting up Sunday's series-deciding final match

Mount Maunganui: Familiar foe Matt Henry reopened old wounds as India’s much-vaunted batting line-up fell apart in the team’s second-biggest ODI defeat, a 244-run humiliation at the hands of New Zealand in the fourth one-dayer here on Friday.

Henry’s sensational spell yielded six wickets for a mere 27 runs as India folded for a sorry-looking 89 in their chase of 334. The pacer brought back memories of the 2019 World Cup semi-final, in which he ripped through India’s top order with a three-wicket burst at Old Trafford to derail the team’s trophy hopes.

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This came after Will Young compiled a well-structured 125 as New Zealand produced a near-perfect performance to leave India in shock.

India still lead the five-match series 2-1, and the series-deciding fifth and final ODI will be played here on Sunday. India’s biggest defeat by runs in the 50-over format remains a 245-run thrashing by Sri Lanka at Sharjah in 2000.

The pitch was not as demonic as the score sheet might suggest, apart from a hint of bounce and movement under the lights. But that was enough for Henry to wreak havoc from the very first over.

In the first six deliveries of the second innings, Henry, who was returning to ODI cricket after a year, all but dashed India’s hopes of mounting a strong chase.

Rohit Sharma was squared up by a rising delivery directed at his body and was caught in the slips by Finn Allen. Virat Kohli departed four balls later, failing to negotiate an incoming delivery that disturbed his stumps. Skipper Shreyas Iyer was then trapped in front of the wicket by a quick, straight delivery.

India’s innings was in complete disarray at 0 for three after the first over.

It would have required immense courage and fortitude to recover from that deep hole, but a shell-shocked Indian side had little of either on the day.

To make matters worse, Ruturaj Gaikwad fell to Kyle Jamieson as India slipped to 9 for four.

A brief period of stability followed as Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel, who was dropped on zero, added 44 runs for the fifth wicket before Matthew Fisher’s snorter ended Axar’s stay.

Henry returned to castle Kishan, and that effectively ended India’s hopes of a chase at 61 for six.

Earlier, Young exploited India’s bowling and fielding frailties to score a century, but the tourists made a late comeback to restrict New Zealand to 333.

Young and his opening partner Tim Seifert (58 off 48 balls) gave the home team an excellent start, adding 85 runs in 12 overs.

Seifert was the dominant partner in the stand, bringing up his maiden ODI half-century in 41 balls.

He was severe on pacer Gurnoor Brar, whom he carted for 6, 4, 4, before later hitting Auqib Nabi for two consecutive boundaries.

At the other end, Young made a slow start and was fortunate to get two reprieves in as many balls.

On five, he was dropped by Rohit at first slip and then by wicketkeeper Kishan off Nabi on the fifth and final ball of the second over.

Young was focused enough to make the tourists pay for these lapses.

But Seifert’s departure, caught by Kishan off Brar, brought about a change in Young’s approach.

The right-hander’s aggressive instincts received a fillip, as he showcased them with a ferocious pull to the boundary off Brar.

Axar, who sent back Nick Kelly with a well-flighted delivery, bowled an exemplary line, conceding just 39 runs in 10 overs.

But the other two spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Naman Dhir, were profligate, repeatedly bowling in the hitting arc of Young and Allen.

Kuldeep spun the odd delivery but largely looked flat, allowing Allen to knock him around for 4, 4 and 6. The left-arm wrist spinner conceded more than nine runs an over.

Young, who reached his fifty in 49 balls, brought up his next fifty in 39 balls and smashed a six each off Brar and Kuldeep.

His precise use of his feet against the spinners was a standout feature of the innings, as evidenced by the inside-out maximum he hit over covers off Kuldeep.

At that stage, New Zealand were poised to pile up a total in excess of 350.

But Young departed when he swept Dhir straight to substitute fielder Kumar Kushagra in the deep, and the Indian bowlers managed to keep the Kiwis in check after they reached 256 for five.

In fact, the last 10 overs produced only 68 runs for the hosts, but that had little effect on the eventual outcome of the match.