Mount Maunganui: Team India suffered their second-biggest defeat by runs in ODIs on Friday after New Zealand beat them by 244 runs in the fourth match at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
India were bowled out for just 89 while chasing 334 for victory. While Will Young led the hosts’ batting effort with a century, pacer Matt Henry took six wickets to register a dominant win.
While New Zealand can’t win the series, it can draw level if it wins the final match on Sunday at the same venue. India still leads 2-1, with the third match being abandoned due to rain.
India’s 244-run defeat is now the second-biggest by runs in their ODI history. Their heaviest loss came against Sri Lanka, who beat them by 245 runs in Sharjah in 2000, as reported by The Times of India.
The other big defeats suffered by India include a 214-run loss to South Africa in Mumbai in 2015 and a 208-run defeat against Australia in Sydney in 2004.
India won the toss and decided to field. New Zealand managed 233 runs and lost all 10 wickets, the last one falling in the last ball of the innings.
The Men in Blue’s chase got off to a disastrous start as Henry struck three times in the opening over. He dismissed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer to leave India reeling at 0/3.
Ruturaj Gaikwad fell soon after, leaving India in deep trouble. Ishan Kishan (27) and Axar Patel (21) then put together a 44-run partnership, while Naman Dhir added a quick 21.
Their efforts helped India avoid an even bigger defeat. Henry returned to take three more wickets and finished with six as India were bowled out for their sixth-lowest total in ODIs.
Young’s knock of 125 off 108 balls was his highest ODI score and his fifth century in the format.
The 33-year-old, who had managed only nine and six in the first two matches of the series, made the most of his chances after India dropped him twice in the second over, with Rohit and wicketkeeper Kishan putting down catches off consecutive deliveries.
Young’s effort received good support from Tim Seifert, who scored 58, and Finn Allen, who made 41. For India, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi took two wickets each.
India were without captain Shubman Gill and batter KL Rahul for the fourth ODI. Both will also miss Sunday’s final match as they prepare for the upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand, which begins on Wednesday.