India’s chance to finish the ODI series at Bay Oval disappeared in a collapse that ended at 89. Will Young’s 125 had already made the chase demanding; Matt Henry then took six wickets for 27 as New Zealand won by 244 runs. India remain ahead, but their lead is now 2–1 with a match left.
Young builds the innings, Henry breaks the chase
Young made his runs from 108 deliveries. Tim Seifert supplied 58 off 48, while Finn Allen’s 41 came from 30 balls. Those contributions gave New Zealand more than one route through the innings after India asked them to bat.
Gurnoor Brar, Axar Patel and Auqib Nabi found breakthroughs, but the hosts kept adding. Mitchell Santner scored 24, Kristian Clarke 22 and Kyle Jamieson finished unbeaten on 19. New Zealand were eventually dismissed for 333 after using their 50 overs.
Then Henry changed the contest within the opening over. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer all left without a run, with India 0/3. Jamieson removed Ruturaj Gaikwad for five, leaving the visitors 9/4 in the sixth over. A chase that needed a substantial opening platform had instead become a rescue operation.
One partnership, then another collapse
Ishan Kishan and Axar added 44 together, offering India a little resistance. Matthew Fisher’s dismissal of Axar broke that stand. Kishan finished with 27 and Axar with 21; Henry later removed Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav and Brar to complete his career-best ODI return.
Fisher ended with 3/31 and Jamieson with 1/12. India were bowled out in 26.4 overs. The 244-run margin is India’s second-biggest ODI defeat by runs, the ICC reported. New Zealand’s batting platform and pace attack had both been decisive.
The final ODI is at Mount Maunganui on November 15. India can still win the series; New Zealand’s remaining opportunity is to draw it. After this performance, the visitors reach that last match with considerably more to repair than the scoreline alone suggests.
