New Zealand delivered a clinical, record-shattering performance at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday, November 13, 2026, dismantling India by 244 runs in the fourth One Day International. Entering the match trailing 2-0 in the five-match series
following two rain-curtailed defeats and a washout in Hamilton, the Black Caps needed a statement victory to keep the series alive. They achieved it in emphatic fashion, posting a formidable 333 before bowling India out for a dismal 89 in 26.4 overs—inflicting India’s heaviest ODI defeat in 26 years and their second-lowest total ever against New Zealand.
Match Summary
| Metric | New Zealand (1st Innings) | India (2nd Innings) |
| Total Score | 333 all out (50 overs) | 89 all out (26.4 overs) |
| Top Scorer | Will Young – 125 (108 balls) | Ishan Kishan – 27 (53 balls) |
| Best Bowler | Matt Henry – 6/27 (9.4 overs) | Axar Patel – 2/39 (10 overs) |
| Result | New Zealand won by 244 runs | Series stands at 2–1 (1 ODI remaining) |
The Context and Toss
With regular skipper Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Anshul Kamboj departing early to begin preparations for the upcoming two-Test series, Shreyas Iyer stepped in as India’s stand-in captain. Under clear skies and pleasant 18°C conditions at Bay Oval, Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first, hoping to exploit early morning moisture and swing. However, what unfolded over the next seven hours was a stark contrast in execution between the two sides across innings.
First Innings: Young Capitalizes on Costly Errors
India’s decision to bowl first nearly paid immediate dividends in the second over, only for sloppy fielding to set the tone for a long afternoon. New Zealand opener Will Young, entering the match on the back of single-digit scores in the first two ODIs, was handed two massive reprieves on consecutive deliveries—dropped first by Rohit Sharma and then by wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan.
Young made India pay dearly for their lapses. Alongside opening partner Tim Seifert, he negotiated the initial movement before shifting gears effortlessly. Seifert played the aggressor early on, racing to a brisk 58 off 48 balls (six fours, three sixes) to propel New Zealand to 72 without loss in the first 10-over Powerplay.
Even after Gurnoor Brar broke the opening stand and Nick Kelly departed cheaply, Young remained the anchor of the innings.
The 33-year-old paced his knock to perfection, reaching his half-century in 49 deliveries and accelerating smoothly toward his fifth ODI century off 88 balls. He found dynamic support in Finn Allen, who injected fierce momentum through the middle overs with a 30-ball 41, sharing a rapid 50-run stand in just 38 deliveries.
Young eventually fell to part-timer Naman Dhir for a career-best 125 off 108 balls, decorated with 14 boundaries and four maximums.
Late cameos from captain Mitchell Santner (24 off 29) and Kristian Clarke (22 off 22) ensured the hosts maintained a healthy run rate despite regular wickets in the death overs. For India, Axar Patel was the standout performer with the ball, stifling the scoring rate to finish with 2/39 from his 10 overs. Debutants and fringe pacers Gurnoor Brar (2/69) and Auqib Nabi (2/59) picked up wickets but proved expensive, while wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav endured a rare off-day, conceding 73 runs in eight wicketless overs as New Zealand reached 333 before being bowled out on the final ball of the innings.
Second Innings: Matt Henry’s Opening-Over Blitz
Chasing 334 required a composed start from India’s seasoned top order, yet the match was effectively decided within the first six deliveries. Operating with a brand-new white ball under subtle atmospheric swing, Matt Henry produced one of the most devastating opening overs in One Day International history.
On the very first ball of the chase, Henry angled a length delivery into Rohit Sharma that seamed away just enough to kiss the outside edge, sending the former captain back for a golden duck. Ruturaj Gaikwad survived the next three deliveries before Virat Kohli walked to the crease. Kohli lasted just four balls before falling without scoring, leaving India shell-shocked.
To compound the nightmare, stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer edged his very first delivery on the final ball of the over. At the end of over number one, India’s scorecard read 0/3—with Rohit, Kohli, and Iyer all dismissed for ducks.
From there, survival became the sole objective. Kyle Jamieson applied relentless pressure from the other end, and when Ruturaj Gaikwad fell for 5 in the sixth over—caught low at second slip off Matthew Fisher—India were reeling at 9/4.
Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel attempted to stage a recovery, grinding out 44 runs for the fifth wicket against disciplined seam bowling. Kishan played cautiously for his 27 off 53 balls, while Axar contributed 21 off 36 before edging a short delivery from Fisher to Finn Allen in the slip cordon. Once Henry returned for his second spell,
the tail offered little resistance. He induced an inside edge onto the stumps from Kishan, angled one through the gate to bowl Kuldeep Yadav, and capped off a masterclass by uprooting Arshdeep Singh’s off-stump with a yorker.
Henry finished with remarkable figures of 6/27 in 9.4 overs, earning Player of the Match honors. Matthew Fisher supported brilliantly with 3/31, while Jamieson conceded just 12 runs in six overs. Aside from Kishan, Axar, and Naman Dhir—who struck two sixes in a brisk 21—no Indian batter reached double figures.
Tactical Takeaways and Series Outlook
Post-match, Shreyas Iyer acknowledged a noticeable shift in pitch behavior between the afternoon and evening sessions, while praising Henry’s relentless accuracy. While twilight conditions at Bay Oval undeniably aided seam movement, India’s defeat stemmed equally from missed catches early in the first innings and tentative footwork against the swinging ball.
Furthermore, with Virat Kohli registering scores of 7 and 0 in his last two outings and the middle order still untested under pressure without Gill and Rahul, India face pressing questions ahead of the series finale.
For New Zealand, the 244-run triumph serves as a massive psychological boost. Having been outplayed in the T20I leg and frustrated by weather earlier in the ODI series, the Black Caps now head into the fifth and final ODI at the very same venue on Sunday, November 15, with momentum firmly on their side and a genuine opportunity to square the series 2–2.
