Mount Maunganui, November 2026 : Matt Henry produced a sensational opening-over spell, claiming three wickets without conceding a run, before finishing with career-best figures of 6/27 as New Zealand crushed India by 244 runs in the fourth ODI at Bay Oval on Friday.
Chasing a formidable target of 334, India were bundled out for just 89 in 26.4 overs, suffering their second-heaviest defeat by runs in One-Day International cricket. The emphatic victory reduced India's lead in the five-match series to 2-1, setting up a series decider at the same venue on Sunday.
It was a disastrous Friday the 13th for India's batting line-up, with only Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel and Naman Dhir managing to cross the 10-run mark. Henry's devastating performance left the visitors with no opportunity to recover from an extraordinary start to their innings.
Henry's Triple-Wicket Maiden Rocks India
India's collapse began before they could open their account. Rohit Sharma edged the first delivery of the chase from Henry to Finn Allen at first slip after being squared up by the New Zealand pacer.
Virat Kohli followed four balls later, failing to account for the inward movement as Henry breached his defence and knocked over the stumps. Stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer lasted just one delivery before being trapped leg-before by another sharp inswinger. New Zealand successfully overturned the on-field not-out decision through a review.
Henry's opening over thus produced three wickets without conceding a run, leaving India in complete disarray. It was only the second occasion that Rohit and Kohli had both been dismissed for ducks in the same ODI for India.
Kyle Jamieson compounded India's troubles by dismissing Ruturaj Gaikwad for five, with Nick Kelly taking a catch at second slip. India were reduced to 9/4, matching their score at the same stage against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells during the 1983 World Cup.
On that occasion, Kapil Dev had produced an unforgettable unbeaten 175 to rescue India. However, there was no similar recovery for the visitors in Mount Maunganui.
Axar and Kishan Offer Brief Resistance
Axar Patel survived an early opportunity when Kelly dropped a straightforward catch at backward point. He then joined Kishan to rebuild the innings, with the pair adding 44 runs from 70 deliveries for the fifth wicket.
Their resistance ended when Matthew Fisher dismissed Axar for 21, with Allen completing the catch at slip.
Henry returned for his second spell and struck immediately, bowling Kishan for a fighting 27 with his first delivery. Fisher then produced a sharp bouncer, clocked at more than 143 kmph, to have Auqib Nabi caught behind for five.
Henry continued his remarkable spell by dismissing Kuldeep Yadav for one, bringing up his five-wicket haul. It was his fourth five-wicket haul in ODIs and second against India.
Henry Completes Career-Best Haul as India Fold
Naman Dhir briefly entertained the crowd with an aggressive counterattack, smashing Fisher for two sixes, including a powerful pull shot. However, his innings ended at 21 when he holed out to a fielder at extra cover.
Henry eventually wrapped up the Indian innings by bowling Gurnoor Brar for two with a full delivery that slipped underneath his bat. The pacer finished with career-best figures of 6/27, while Fisher supported him with three wickets for 31 runs.
Jamieson was equally economical, conceding just 12 runs in his six overs and picking up one wicket.
Henry's performance was particularly significant as he returned to ODI cricket after an absence of a year. His outstanding spell also provided India with a difficult reminder of the challenges awaiting them in the Test series beginning November 19.
Earlier, New Zealand had posted 333/8 in 50 overs, powered by Will Young's 125 off 108 balls and Tim Seifert's 58 off 48 deliveries.
With the series now standing at 2-1, India will have to regroup quickly ahead of Sunday's fifth and final ODI, while New Zealand will look to carry their momentum into the decider.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 333/8 in 50 overs (Will Young 125, Tim Seifert 58; Axar Patel 2/39, Auqib Nabi 2/59) beat India 89 all out in 26.4 overs (Ishan Kishan 27, Naman Dhir 21; Matt Henry 6/27, Matthew Fisher 3/31) by 244 runs.
