India head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to let his batters hide behind the conditions after India were bowled out for 89 in the fourth ODI against New Zealand, insisting there was no such thing as an unplayable delivery at international level.
“There are no unplayable deliveries in international cricket. We needed to see off the first 10 overs. Matt Henry bowled in good areas, but we should be able to negate that,” Gambhir said at the post-match press conference in Mount Maunganui. “You are always concerned when you get bundled out for 90-odd. These are conditions close to the World Cup. Even in the previous game we lost seven wickets; it’s a concern.”
India’s collapse was as swift as it was shocking. Chasing 334, they lost Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and captain Shreyas Iyer all for ducks in Henry’s opening over, and were bowled out for 89 in 26.4 overs to lose by 244 runs — their second-heaviest defeat by runs in ODI history. Henry finished with a career-best 6 for 27, and Will Young’s 125 had earlier carried New Zealand to 333.
Gambhir would not get drawn into the technicalities of the wobble seam that troubled India’s batters, putting the responsibility squarely on them to adapt. “I don’t go into technicality. There wasn’t a lot of deviation, it’s the job of the batter to negate movement. More than seam, areas and length created problems for us. We got stuck into the crease,” he said. His other worry was the speed of the collapse. “The bigger concern is not the runs. It’s how quickly we got bundled out, around 26 or 27 overs. That is something which is always a concern.”
Iyer, leading India for the first time in ODIs, had pointed to a surface he felt had changed between innings, but Gambhir’s message was blunt: a batting line-up of India’s experience should have found a way through Henry’s opening spell. Dinesh Karthik struck a similar note, calling India’s middle order vulnerable in all three completed matches.
The defeat has turned Sunday’s fifth ODI at the same venue into a decider. India still lead the series 2-1, with the third ODI in Hamilton washed out, but New Zealand can now level it at 2-2. India will have to do it without some familiar faces, with Shubman Gill and KL Rahul already in the Test camp, while Henry and Kyle Jamieson will also miss the decider as they prepare for the first Test in Wellington on November 19. Gambhir’s demand is clear: his batters must be mentally and skill-wise ready, because 35 or 40 without loss in the first 10 overs, in his words, is fine in conditions like these.
Related:
- Henry’s Career-Best Six-For Powers New Zealand to Record 244-Run Win Over India in Fourth ODI — https://t20star.com/henrys-career-best-six-for-powers-new-zealand-to-record-244-run-win-over-india-in-fourth-odi/
- Nine Changes as Iyer Leads India for the First Time in Fourth ODI Against New Zealand — https://t20star.com/nine-changes-as-iyer-leads-india-for-the-first-time-in-fourth-odi-against-new-zealand/
