India's much-vaunted batting line-up fell apart in the team's second biggest ODI loss, a 244-run humiliation at the hands of New Zealand in the fourth one-dayer
MOUNT MAUNGANUI — Familiar foe Matt Henry cut open old wounds as India's much-vaunted batting line-up fell apart in the team's second biggest ODI loss, a 244-run humiliation at the hands of New Zealand in the fourth one-dayer here on Friday.
Henry's sensational spell yielded 6 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 semifinal in which he ripped through the top order with a three-wicket burst at Old Trafford to derail India's trophy hopes.
This was after Will Young compiled a well-structured 125 as New Zealand produced a near perfect performance here to leave the Indians 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. The team's biggest defeat by runs in the 50-over format is still a 245-run walloping by Sri Lanka at Sharjah in 2000.
The pitch was not as demonic as the score-sheet might suggest, except a hint of bounce and movement under the lights. But that was enough for Henry to wreak havoc from the very first over itself.
In the first six second innings deliveries, Henry, who was playing in the ODI format after a year, poleaxed India's hopes of mounting a strong chase.
Rohit Sharma was squared up with a rising delivery directed at his body and was caught at slips by Finn Allen. Virat Kohli departed four balls later failing to negate an incoming delivery that disturbed his stumps. Skipper Shreyas Iyer was then trapped in front of the wicket with a quick, straight one.
India's innings was in complete disarray at 0 for three after the first over.
It would have required immense courage and fortitude to return from that deep hole but a shell-shocked Indian side did not have any of it 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 the latter's stay.
Henry came back to castle Kishan, and it effectively was curtains for India's chase at 61 for six.
Earlier, Young exploited India's bowling and fielding frailties to score a hundred, but the tourists made a late comeback to restrict New Zealand to 333.
Young and his opening partner Tim Seifert (58, 48 balls) gave an excellent start to the home team, adding 85 runs in 12 overs.
Seifert was the lead act in this 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 and later punished Auqib Nabi for two fours in a row.
At the other end, Young made a slow start and was fortunate to get two reprieves in as many balls.
On 5, he was dropped by Rohit at first slip and then by stumper Kishan off Nabi in the fifth and last 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 instinct got a fillip, showcasing it with a ferocious pull to the fence 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, and kept bowling in the hitting arc of Young and Allen.
Kuldeep spun the odd delivery but largely looked flat and Allen knocked him around for 4, 4, 6. The left-arm wrist spinner conceded more than nine runs an over in this outing.
Young, who reached his fifty in 49 balls, fetched his next fifty in 39 balls, and smoked a six each off Brar and Kuldeep.
The precise use of feet against spinners was a standout feature of his innings, evidenced by that inside-out maximum over covers off Kuldeep.
At that stage, New Zealand were poised to pile a total over 350.
But Young departed when he swept Dhir straight to substitute Kumar Kushagra in the deep and the Indian bowlers managed to keep the Kiwis in check from 256 for five.
In fact, the last 10 overs produced only 68 runs for the hosts, but it did not even have any effect on the eventual outcome of the match.