NZ vs IND 4th ODI: India All Out for 89, Lose by 244 Runs as Matt Henry Takes 6 for 27

The NZ vs IND 4th ODI turned into one of the worst days in India's one-day history. Chasing 334 at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday, 13 November 2026, India were 0 for 3 after the first over and were bowled out for 89 in 26.4 overs. New Zealand won by 244 runs, which is India's second-heaviest ODI defeat by runs, and cut India's series lead to 2-1 with one game left.

Scorecard summary

• New Zealand: 333 all out in 50 overs (Will Young 125, Tim Seifert 58, Finn Allen 41; Axar Patel 2-39, Gurnoor Brar 2 wickets, Auqib Nabi 2 wickets)
• India: 89 all out in 26.4 overs (Ishan Kishan 27, Axar Patel 21, Naman Dhir 21; Matt Henry 6-27, Matt Fisher 3-31)
• Result: New Zealand won by 244 runs
• Series: India lead 2-1, with the 5th ODI at the same ground on Sunday, 15 November

The first over that decided the match

Stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to bowl, but the game was effectively over within six balls of the chase. Matt Henry, playing his first ODI of the series after a quad injury and a fielding collision earlier in the tour, found the edge of Rohit Sharma with the very first ball, and Finn Allen took the catch at slip. Virat Kohli lasted four balls before Henry bowled him with one that nipped back, and Iyer was lbw first ball to the last delivery of the over.

That made it a triple-wicket maiden: India were 0 for 3, with three of their most experienced batters out for ducks. Ishan Kishan survived the hat-trick ball, but Kyle Jamieson soon had Ruturaj Gaikwad caught at second slip for 5, and India were 9 for 4 in the sixth over.

A brief fightback, then the slide

Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel added 44 for the fifth wicket, the only stand of any substance, after Axar had been dropped first ball. Once Axar fell at 53, the slide resumed: Kishan (27 off 53 balls) and Auqib Nabi went soon after to make it 66 for 7. Naman Dhir hit a few late blows for 21 before Henry came back to finish the innings.

Henry ended with 6 for 27 in 9.2 overs, his first six-wicket haul in ODIs and, according to the NZ Herald, his fourth ODI five-for. Matt Fisher, bowling quick and hitting hard lengths, took 3 for 31 in seven overs.

How New Zealand got to 333

The pitch was the best for batting all series, and New Zealand's openers used it. Tim Seifert raced to his maiden ODI fifty in 39 balls and made 58 off 48 as the hosts reached 72 without loss in the powerplay. Will Young was dropped twice in two balls when he was on 5 and made India pay: he scored 125 off 108 balls, his fifth ODI hundred and his highest score in the format.

Finn Allen, batting at No. 5, made 41 off 30 in a stand of 90 with Young, and New Zealand were 256 for 4 in the 37th over. India did pull things back late. The last six wickets fell for 77, with Axar, Brar and Nabi taking two each, Dhir taking Young's wicket and two run-outs, but 334 was still a stiff target.

Where this ranks: India's biggest ODI defeats by runs

According to ESPNcricinfo data reported by Business Standard and The Federal, these are India's heaviest ODI defeats by run margin:

The total of 89 was India's eighth ODI all-out score below 100 and their second-lowest against New Zealand, after 88 in Dambulla in 2010. For New Zealand, it was their second-biggest ODI win by runs, behind the 290-run win over Ireland in 2008.

What Gambhir and Iyer said

Head coach Gautam Gambhir did not blame the conditions. "There are no unplayable deliveries in international cricket. Matt Henry bowled in good areas, but we should be able to negate that," he said, according to IANS. "You are always concerned when you get bundled out for 90-odd. These are conditions close to the World Cup."

He also pointed to the chances missed in the field: "Had we got Will Young, it could have been different... We dropped catches and will have to pay for it." Iyer, as quoted by The Times of India, said that "no one threw their wicket away".

Our take

This was a one-off on a day when an elite seamer hit a perfect length, but it is not the first warning of the tour. India were also seven wickets down in a short chase in the rain-hit 2nd ODI in Wellington before winning on DLS. With the 2027 World Cup in southern Africa, batting through a new ball that moves is a skill this group must show, not just talk about.

The good news for India is that Henry and Jamieson now leave for Test preparation and will not play Sunday's decider. A win at Bay Oval would still give India their first ODI series win in New Zealand since 2019. For all the numbers from this series, see our NZ vs IND ODI results page, and our 4th ODI preview for the background to India's changes.

Sources: ESPNcricinfo match report, NZ Herald, PTI scorecard via Outlook India, IANS, Business Standard, The Federal, The Times of India.