India suffered a shocking batting collapse against New Zealand in the fourth ODI on Friday, November 13, as the visitors registered a massive 244-run victory. Following the defeat, captain Shreyas Iyer spoke about the sudden change in pitch conditions and explained why India’s run chase became so difficult.
New Zealand, after being asked to bat first, scored 333 runs in their allotted innings. However, the Indian batting line-up failed to handle the pressure during the chase and were bowled out for just 89 runs in 26.4 overs.
New Zealand pacer Matt Henry was the star of the match, finishing with impressive figures of 6 wickets for 27 runs. He made an incredible start by picking up three wickets in the very first over, dismissing India’s top three batters without allowing them to score a single run.
Shreyas Iyer, who was leading India in an ODI for the first time in the absence of regular captain Shubman Gill, admitted that the defeat was disappointing. However, he also praised Matt Henry for his outstanding bowling performance.
Shreyas Iyer Explains the Sudden Change in Pitch Conditions
Speaking after the match, Shreyas Iyer said that the pitch behaved very differently during India’s innings compared to the first innings. According to the Indian captain, the surface initially looked good for batting, but it started assisting the fast bowlers considerably during the run chase. He also gave credit to Matt Henry for bowling in the right areas from the very first delivery and making full use of the conditions.
Shreyas Iyer explained that the Indian team was confident about chasing the target after seeing New Zealand score 333 runs. The batters believed they could complete the chase without much difficulty. However, things changed once India came out to bat. The ball started moving both ways, making it extremely difficult for the batters to judge which shots to play and how to approach their innings.
The Indian captain also defended his team’s batting performance to some extent, suggesting that the batters had not thrown away their wickets carelessly. Instead, they were dismissed by quality deliveries from the New Zealand bowlers.
Shreyas Iyer Urges India to Make a Comeback in the Fifth ODI
Despite suffering a heavy defeat, Shreyas Iyer asked his teammates to remain positive and focus on the upcoming fifth ODI. He reminded the players that India had won the first two matches of the series and should take confidence from those victories. The captain also encouraged the team to forget the disappointing performance and approach the next match with a fresh mindset.
Mitchell Santner Feels New Zealand Could Have Scored More Runs
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner was happy with his team’s performance and the important victory. However, he also felt that his team could have added more runs to their total. Mitchell Santner revealed that New Zealand had initially aimed to score around 360 runs. According to him, the team missed out on approximately 20 additional runs because some of their batting partnerships could have been more productive.
Nevertheless, he was pleased with the way his bowlers performed. The New Zealand bowling attack made sure that the missed runs did not become a problem by picking up wickets regularly and putting India under constant pressure.
Matt Henry Reveals His Bowling Strategy After Taking Six Wickets
Matt Henry delivered one of the best bowling performances of the match, taking six wickets for just 27 runs. The fast bowler had recently returned to action after recovering from a concussion. Despite the time away from the game, he looked in excellent rhythm and troubled the Indian batters throughout their innings. Speaking after the match, Matt Henry said that he had kept his bowling plans simple. His main focus was to target the stumps with the new ball and make the Indian batters play as much as possible.
However, the pacer did not want to get carried away by the performance. He pointed out that it was just one match and that another important game was coming up soon. Matt Henry also acknowledged India’s strength as a team and said New Zealand would need to maintain their performance in the upcoming match to level the series.
With the fourth ODI going in New Zealand’s favour, the focus now shifts to the fifth and final match, where India will look to bounce back and New Zealand will aim to build on their impressive victory.
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