New Zealand beat India by 244 runs in the fourth ODI at Mount Maunganui, bowling the visitors out for 89 after posting 333. Will Young made a career-best 125 and Matt Henry took 6-27. The result leaves India leading the series 2-1, with New Zealand unable to win it.
Match Summary: Key Numbers
The hosts won by the second-largest margin in runs in India's ODI history. The third match of the series was abandoned due to rain, so only three results have counted so far.
Will Young's Career-Best Innings
Young scored 125 from 108 balls, a strike rate of roughly 115.7. It was his highest ODI score and his fifth century in the format.
The 33-year-old had made only nine and six in the first two matches. He was dropped by Rohit Sharma and Kishan on consecutive deliveries in the second over, and made India pay for the lapse.
Support From Seifert and Allen
Tim Seifert added 58 and Finn Allen contributed 41. Together with Young, the three batters scored 224 of New Zealand's 333 runs, about 67 percent of the total.
| Batter | Runs | Share of 333 |
|---|
| Will Young | 125 | 37.5% |
| Tim Seifert | 58 | 17.4% |
| Finn Allen | 41 | 12.3% |
Matt Henry's New-Ball Spell
Henry finished with 6-27, accounting for six of India's ten wickets. His opening burst set the tone for the chase.
The First-Over Collapse
Henry removed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer in a single over, leaving India on 0-3. Ruturaj Gaikwad fell soon afterwards.
Henry said he was not worried about swing because of the wind. He said the plan was to bring the stumps into play and use a small window with the new ball. He took three more wickets later in the innings.
Limited Lower-Order Resistance
Kishan (27) and Axar Patel (21) added 44 runs, and Naman Dhir made 21. Those three scored 69 of India's 89 runs, about 77.5 percent of the total. The other batters contributed just 20 runs between them.
Historical Context
India's 89 is their sixth-lowest ODI total. The 244-run margin falls one run short of their worst defeat by runs, a 245-run loss to Sri Lanka in 2000.
| Defeat | Margin | Year |
|---|
| India v Sri Lanka | 245 runs | 2000 |
| India v New Zealand, Mount Maunganui | 244 runs | Fourth ODI of this series |
The gap between the two margins is a single run. Kishan, Patel and Dhir were the main reason India did not set a new record.
Series Outlook
India lead 2-1 and New Zealand can no longer win the five-match series. A win in the final match at the same venue on Sunday would still let the hosts avoid defeat.
India were without captain Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, who will also miss the final ODI as they prepare for the two-Test series beginning on Wednesday. Stand-in captain Iyer credited Henry for bowling the right areas from ball one. He also noted the pitch played very differently in the two innings.
Iyer said India would analyse what went wrong with bat and ball. He added that the team have still won two games in the series.