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.
