The Indian cricket team suffered a heavy 244-run defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the fourth ODI encounter. Shreyas Iyer, leading the side in this format for the very first time, blamed the shifting nature of the pitch for the massive collapse. He noted that while the surface initially appeared conducive to batting, it subsequently started offering significant assistance to the fast bowlers as the match progressed.
Asked to bat first after losing the toss, New Zealand posted a competitive total of 333 runs before getting bowled out. In response, India's batting lineup crumbled completely, getting bundled out for a meagre 89 runs in just 26.4 overs. Fast bowler Matt Henry wreaked havoc on the Indian batting order, claiming six wickets while conceding only 27 runs.
Captaincy Debut and Pitch Conditions
Reflecting on the match after his ODI captaincy debut, Shreyas Iyer admitted that the result was difficult to digest. He pointed out the stark difference in the behavior of the pitch across the two innings. Praising the opposition spearhead, Iyer remarked that Matt Henry deserved full credit for bowling in the right areas right from the very first delivery.
The Indian captain mentioned that watching New Zealand bat gave them the impression that the pitch was quite good for batting. He acknowledged that the team dropped a few catches, though maintaining that such lapses happen in the sport. When the team returned to the dressing room at the innings break, they felt the target was comfortably achievable. However, once on the field, the excessive inward and outward swing of the ball made it extremely difficult to determine the right approach.
Batting Collapse and Moving Forward
Defending his batters, Iyer clarified that none of them threw their wickets away as gifts, emphasizing that everyone was dismissed by genuinely good deliveries. He stressed that the side needs to put this defeat behind them and rigorously analyze where things went wrong in both the bowling and batting departments. Having won two matches earlier in the series, the team now needs to regroup and start afresh.
Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner expressed immense satisfaction with his team's performance. He confessed that they felt they fell about 20 runs short of a par score initially, having targeted around 360 runs despite losing wickets along the way. Nonetheless, the bowlers led by Matt Henry made up for it brilliantly. Santner added that Henry was eager to play this match, and on a slightly helpful surface with the new ball, he is arguably the best bowler around.
