Riding high after being 2-0 up after 3 games and having one hand on the ODI Trophy, India were given a brutal reality check as the Men in Blue were outplayed in all facets of the game by the hosts New Zealand at the Bay Oval as the Kiwis roared to keep the series alive. They not only won the match but thrashed India by 244 runs to make a statement and expose India in all fronts. From bowling, fielding and then batting, India were never in the contest. A match that promised a lot turned out to be as one-sided as it can get.
India have a lot to worry about and thinking because these will be similar conditions to the ODI World Cup in 2027. Batting is the main issue, while bowling and fielding were not up to the mark either. We will try and decipher how and where India lost the plot on Friday.
Will Young dropped twice on 5* proved to be a game-changer in the contest
New Zealand were put into bat first by India yet again at the Bay Oval. Tim Seifert got off to a flier while Will Young, as is the case, took his time getting in and was in need of a score. Seifert played well and dominated the power play allowing Young to get in. But India had their chance as Young looked scratchy initially in his stay at the crease. It was in the second over that India had a chance to get rid of Young for another low score. But it was not to be.
Auqib Nabi was the unfortunate bowler as he induced the edge of the bat of Young and it carried comfortably to first slip, where Rohit Sharma dropped a dolly. If that was not enough, the very next ball Nabi again induced the outside edge to the keeper Ishan Kishan who dived to his right with the gloves on and got it, but could not hold on. Yes Ishan’s catch was tougher than Rohit’s, but at this level it should have been taken. But Young got two reprieves in two balls.
All good batters make it count and the opposition pay after those reprieves and Young was no different. Post that dropped catch, he settled down and scored his first fifty at run a ball and then accelerated to score his 5th ODI ton and build good partnerships first with Seifert at the top and then Allen in the middle order to lay the platform for a big score. Young looked a different player post those chances. Catches win matches and India were guilty of dropping 4-5 catches yesterday while the Kiwis dropped one only. That proved to be the difference.
It goes without saying that fielding has to improve for the Men in Blue. If they keep this habit of dropping catches, they will pay for it against quality sides and New Zealand are a quality side despite some names missing. This is one area, India will have to work on as even in T20Is, we have seen them drop a few easy ones. Fielding is a key aspect in the modern day and age.
Losing 3 out of the first 4 wickets in the first over of Matt Henry sealed the fate of the contest
The Indian bowlers had a tough day on the field, but we felt in the back 10 overs they did well to keep New Zealand to 333 as 350-360 looked possible at one stage. But 333 is a lot of runs over there and the ball moved around a bit under lights. India needed a solid stable start and it was expected they will get it even in the absence of regular captain Shubman Gill as Rohit, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, were in the ranks. The first over of the chase sets the tone as disaster struck India.
Matt Henry back in the side after concussion injury, showed his class under conditions that were helpful to him. He struck straightaway as in the first ball of the innings, Rohit was dismissed caught at slip for a golden duck. Thereafter, Virat Kohli came and 4 balls later, the nip backer that kept low castled his stumps. Captain Shreyas Iyer came and was out LBW after good usage of DRS as India were 0/3 after the first over. After this, the Men in Blue were on the back foot totally and rebuilding had to be done with required rate climbing upwards.
Thereafter, Gaikwad fell soon for 5 to Kyle Jamieson with India reduced to 9/4 in 5.3 overs. It could have been 5 down when Nick Kelly dropped Axar Patel at backward point. Eventually, India were 4 down for 26 in the power play and the game was gone. A brief resistance happened between Axar and Ishan of 44 run stand to take the score past 50. Henry and Fisher joined forces to clean up the tail with the former finishing with a 6-wicket haul as India were done and dusted for 89 in 26.4 overs.
There was no fight from anyone as technical deficiencies and footwork was exposed of the top order. The middle and lower middle order couldn’t do much either as they lacked the fighting spirit. This is a batting failure as a whole and loads of questions of how this group will fare in the World Cup when similar conditions present them. Yes, World Cup is still a long way away but these questions need answering. How India comes back on Sunday with series up for grabs remains to be seen as it’s difficult to digest such a loss. This will test the character of the Indian team for sure.
Kuldeep Yadav’s expensive day with the ball didn’t help him nor his team’s cause
Another thing India needs to carefully address is the Kuldeep Yadav situation. He is warming the bench for so long and is unsure when he will get a game. When he gets a game, he is under pressure and seems underconfident as well. He lacks the confidence that he had before and that happens when the team management does not support you enough. Kuldeep might be facing that. Having said that, when given an opportunity, he has to perform to prove his worth in the team. But that was not the case on Friday afternoon at the Bay Oval.
Kuldeep was brought late on, and credit to the New Zealand batters for going after him and not letting his settle. But Kuldeep after being attacked in the first over just lost it in his head and leaked runs like hot chocolates. He did not know what to do and nobody spoke to him with an arm around his shoulder calming him down. He was left all alone. So much so, that he bowled a no ball which is rare from his end.
It was easy for the batters clobbering him. Shreyas tried to utilise him as much as possible and gave him 8 overs. But he was having such a day, that he could not be given full 10 overs.
He went for 73 runs in 8 overs after being 42 in 4 overs at one stage. He went wicketless, the only one who did not take a wicket for India. Even Naman Dhir in his 4 overs picked up a wicket. We know Kuldeep’s quality but such performances will keep him out of the team more than in it. It won’t surprise us if Kuldeep gets dropped for the final game on Sunday.
The management does not back him and that’s why we see his performances like this. If Kuldeep had even a half decent day, India may have kept the Kiwis down to under 300 and then the psychology of chasing under 300 would have been different.
Kuldeep needs to pull up his socks if given the chance on Sunday. The chances are that he may be shown the door for sure. India might bring in Mohammed Siraj for the last game for all we know.
What Lies Ahead
So, we are all set for Super Sunday to take place at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui where the 5th ODI takes place between New Zealand and India from 7:30 AM IST. Will India manage to bounce back from this heavy loss and clinch the series 3-1? Or will New Zealand ride on this momentum they have found and win two on the bounce to level the series 2-2? Remember, there will be no Matt Henry or Kyle Jamieson for the 5th ODI as they link up with the Test squad now in Wellington.
Let’s see how the ODI series finale shapes up. India has one hand on the trophy. The question is do they have to share it or hold it outright? Find all the answers on Sunday.
Also Read: NZ VS IND: Matt Henry’s 6-Wicket Haul Embarrasses India.