New Zealand took the fourth ODI against India at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday, and the margin was 244 runs. The hosts made 333 batting first. India were then bowled out for 89 in 26.4 overs.
India still lead the five-match series 2-1, but it now goes to Sunday’s final game at the same ground. A New Zealand win there would level it at 2-2. India need a win to take it 3-1.
Young builds, Seifert and Allen push
Will Young held the New Zealand innings together with 125 off 108 balls, hitting 14 fours and four sixes. He batted through the middle overs while others attacked around him.
Tim Seifert added 58 off 48 balls and Finn Allen struck 41 off 30 at the top. That gave New Zealand a fast start that India’s bowlers never really pulled back. Axar Patel was the pick of the Indian attack with 2 for 39 from his ten overs, a rare tidy spell on a hard day in the field.
Reports differ slightly on how the innings ended. Cricketnews.com has New Zealand all out off the final ball, while Khel Now lists the total as 333 for 8. Either way, 334 was a big target.
Henry’s spell settles it early
India did not get the start they needed. Matt Henry tore through the top order with the new ball, and Khel Now reports that Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer all fell in his first over. Cricketnews.com’s scorecard shows all three out for ducks.
Henry finished with 6 for 27 from 9.4 overs, the best figures of his ODI career, and was named Player of the Match. Matthew Fisher took 3 for 31 and Kyle Jamieson gave away just 12 runs for his one wicket.
Ishan Kishan was India’s top scorer with 27, and that took him 53 balls. His 44-run stand with Axar Patel (21) was the only real partnership of the chase. Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad made 5.
The ICC’s match report summed it up plainly, calling it “a commanding performance from the hosts”.
How the series got here
This has been an odd series, shaped as much by the weather as by the cricket. India won the first ODI by five wickets and the second by four runs. Both results came through the DLS method.
The third match in Hamilton was washed out without a result. That made Friday’s game the first one played in full, and New Zealand made the most of it.
It also came after a T20I series that India won 3-1 in late October, so this was a sharp change in mood for the touring side.
What India might change for the decider
A defeat this heavy usually prompts questions about selection. Khel Now has suggested three possible changes. One is bringing in Tilak Varma for Gaikwad, with Kishan moving up to open alongside Rohit.
The same report notes that Gurnoor Brar has joined the Test squad, which could open a spot for Mohammed Siraj. It also floats a debut for seamer Yash Thakur in place of Auqib Nabi, who took two wickets but conceded 59 runs in eight overs on Friday.
These are suggestions, not confirmed team news. India’s final XI will only be known at the toss.
When and where to follow the fifth ODI
- Match: New Zealand vs India, 5th ODI
- Date: Sunday, 15 November 2026
- Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
- Start time: 3:00 pm local time, which is 7:30 am IST
For Indian fans, that means an early Sunday start. The key question is simple: can India’s top order survive the new ball against Henry and Fisher? On Friday they could not, and the contest was effectively over inside the first hour of the chase.
New Zealand have the momentum. India have the lead, and one more chance to close out the series.
Reporting based on ICC and Cricketnews.com.
Featured image: NZDF, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
