India head coach Gautam Gambhir expressed severe concern over his team’s frequent ODI batting collapses following an 89-run dismissal that sealed a 244-run defeat to New Zealand in Mount Maunganui, Cricinfo reported.
India slipped to 2-1 up in the series with one match remaining at the same venue on Sunday. The touring side previously stumbled to 111 for 7 while chasing a modest target of 112 in the second ODI.
“There’s no benefit to sweeping it under the carpet,” Gambhir told Cricinfo in his post-match press conference on Friday night. “It isn’t just this match. Even in the previous match, we were seven down for 111 or 112. Today we lost, so we are talking about it.”
The head coach highlighted that these foreign tracks closely mirror the conditions expected during next year’s World Cup in Southern Africa. Matt Henry capitalized on the helpful surface by claiming 6 for 27, removing Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer for ducks in a single opening over.
Gambhir pointed to precise lengths rather than complex seam movement as the primary hurdle for his struggling lineup. “It was that half-half length,” Gambhir said, noting that batters remained stuck on the crease instead of committing forward or backward.
India altered their bowling attack by benching Mohammed Siraj and introducing wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav alongside seamers Gurnoor Brar and Arshdeep Singh. Kuldeep conceded 73 runs across eight wicketless overs during Friday’s fixture.
| Match Details | India Batting Collapse | New Zealand Top Performer | Series Standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second ODI | 111 for 7 (chasing 135) | Not applicable | India won via DLS |
| Fourth ODI | 89 all out (26.4 overs) | Matt Henry (6 for 27) | New Zealand won by 244 runs |
“We thought that a wristspinner would be more useful, as simple as it can get,” Gambhir said regarding the tactical selection. The final match of the bilateral series takes place in Mount Maunganui on Sunday.
