Matt Henry Six-Wicket Spell Crushes India as New Zealand Level White-Ball Pressure
New Zealand handed India a 244-run beating in the fourth ODI at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, bundling out the visitors for 89 while chasing a target of 334. Right-arm fast bowler Matt Henry tore through the line-up with a six-wicket haul, handing the Indian side led by stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer one of its heaviest defeats in recent ODI history.
The multi-format series featuring the New Zealand national cricket team and the India national cricket team has produced starkly contrasting results across both legs. Prior to the crash in Mount Maunganui, India had carved out a 2-0 lead in the T20 series following a narrow DLS win in a low-scoring thriller reported by Cricinfo.
Matt Henry Six-Wicket Spell Triggers Batting Collapse
Chasing 334 on Friday, November 13, India’s batting order collapsed inside 90 runs. Free Press Journal reported that cricket followers slammed the 89-run total online following the collapse. Henry’s six-wicket spell did the heavy lifting, leaving India’s middle and lower order helpless as the hosts systematically closed out the game.
Shreyas Iyer, who took charge of the Indian side for the fourth ODI, saw his team lose wickets at regular intervals without putting up a sustained partnership.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Returns while New Zealand Rotate Pacemen
Both selection panels have made tactical roster changes across the tour to manage fast bowlers’ workloads. Veteran swing bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned to India’s T20I squad after four years away from international short-format cricket. His recall came under interim chief selector Pragyan Ojha for the five-match T20I leg.
Alongside Kumar’s return, NDTV Sports reported that uncapped pace prospect Gurnoor Brar has been identified internally under head coach Gautam Gambhir as a prospective long-term backup for Jasprit Bumrah.
New Zealand Cricket made sweeping adjustments to its squad for the final three T20Is. Lockie Ferguson was brought back for the last two T20 matches, while management rotated Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Blair Tickner, and Josh Clarkson out of specific fixtures. For the final two ODIs, New Zealand Cricket handed uncapped bowler Brett Randell his maiden international call-up to reinforce the seam attack.
Tim Seifert Tops 93 in Final T20 Match Victory
New Zealand claimed a seven-wicket victory over India in the fifth and final T20I. Tim Seifert led the run chase with a 93-run knock, supported by a half-century from Glenn Phillips, preventing India from sweeping the end of the T20 series.
The victory capped off a competitive T20 leg where both teams tested bench strength ahead of upcoming ICC assignments.
Sarfaraz Khan Hits 154 After Test Squad Omission
Selection choices for the upcoming two-match Test series in New Zealand next month have already drawn attention. Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan, who was left out of Team India’s Test squad for the upcoming tour, responded immediately on the domestic circuit by scoring 154 runs for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy on Monday.
The current tour concludes with the fifth and final ODI scheduled for Sunday, November 15, at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, where the India national cricket team will seek to bounce back against New Zealand in a match that also serves as a potential farewell appearance for select senior players.
Based on reports from
- India go 2-0 up after narrow DLS win in low-scoring suspenser — Cricinfo
- Gurnoor Brar – India May Have Found Jasprit Bumrah's Backup, And Gautam Gambhir Already Knows It — NDTV Sports
- New Zealand India Cricket — The Herald Journal
About The Author
