At Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on November 13, 2026, Matt Henry produced a career-best bowling performance of 6 for 27 in 9.4 overs as New Zealand defeated India by 244 runs in the 4th ODI of the series. India, set a target of 334, were bowled out for just 89 in 26.4 overs, suffering their second-heaviest defeat by runs in ODI history.

Henry, returning from injury and playing his first ODI of the series, dismantled India’s top order in the opening over itself, removing Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer without a run on the board. Rohit edged to slip, Kohli was bowled, and Iyer was given out LBW on review, leaving India at 0 for 3 inside the first over. Ishan Kishan and Kuldeep Yadav also fell to Henry, while Gurnoor Brar completed the rout to help wrap up the innings inside 27 overs. New Zealand’s total of 333 had been built substantially on Will Young’s 125.

Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who was part of India’s 2019 World Cup squad, said Henry’s opening burst at Bay Oval brought back vivid memories of the 2019 World Cup semi-final at Old Trafford. Karthik remarked that Henry had long been a difficult bowler for India on pitches offering movement, and his display on November 13 was a reminder of that quality. Murali Kartik also observed that losing three wickets in the opening over made any recovery virtually impossible, particularly while chasing 334.

What did Dinesh Karthik and Murali Kartik say about Henry’s opening spell?

Henry’s first over at Bay Oval was the decisive passage of play. Karthik explained that Henry’s ability to angle the ball away from right-handers made him exceptionally difficult to counter, and that the delivery which accounted for Rohit Sharma was almost unplayable because of the angle created. Karthik, speaking as a commentator, drew on his experience as a player to describe how a batter instinctively lines up for the ball coming in, only to be undone by the one that leaves.

“Extraordinary start. That first over was unplayable. When someone bowls like that, you have to doff your hat off and say, ‘Well done’. I think it was one of those days when he got everything on point. It did bring back memories of that semi-final. That is how efficient he was on that day, and today as well. He has been one such bowler who has been a thorn in India’s flesh for some time now on pitches that have a bit. He is able to take the ball away, and that is how he got Rohit Sharma out, and it is an impossible delivery to play, actually, because of the angle he creates. You almost line up for the one that comes in,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz

Murali Kartik echoed that view, stating that when a side loses its top three without scoring, the chance of recovery is rare and victory becomes impossible.

“This game was over in the first over, 100 percent. When you are 0 for 3, recovery is rare, and victory is impossible. When you have got your top three gone for 0, you are not coming back from that, especially when you are chasing 334. It was only a matter of time. Some deliveries were absolutely unplayable. Matt Henry asked some tough questions today,” he said, via the aforementioned source.

How does Henry’s 2026 spell compare to his 2019 World Cup semi-final performance against India?

The 2019 World Cup semi-final at Old Trafford in July 2019 remains a painful reference point for Indian cricket. In that match, India were chasing 240 and were reduced to 3 for 37 in the early stages, ultimately losing by 18 runs. Henry was central to that early damage, removing Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in the opening spell and then accounting for Dinesh Karthik as the third wicket to fall.

Karthik himself was involved in a notable moment from that innings. Having survived 25 balls and scored 6 runs, he edged Henry towards point, where Jimmy Neesham took a one-handed catch to end his innings. That dismissal was the third wicket Henry claimed in the semi-final, and it effectively ended India’s realistic hopes of reaching the final. India were bowled out for 221 in that match.

Henry had also troubled India in the 2025 Champions Trophy group stage, taking 5 wickets for 42 runs in that fixture, further underlining his record against this opposition. The 4th ODI at Bay Oval on November 13, 2026, where he finished with 6 for 27, represents his best return against India across all formats. The 5th and final ODI of the series is scheduled for November 15 at the same venue, Mount Maunganui.

At Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday, November 13, New Zealand dominated India in the fourth ODI of their five-match series. The hosts compiled 333 runs across 50 overs, while India’s batting collapsed dramatically as they were bowled out for 89 in just 26.4 overs. The result kept the series competitive at 2-1 in India’s favour heading into the final match scheduled for Sunday, November 15 at the same venue.

Among India’s bowlers, Axar Patel maintained discipline despite the heavy defeat. Across 10 overs, he conceded 39 runs while claiming 2 wickets without bowling a single wide or no-ball, achieving an economy rate of 3.90. His victims included Finn Allen, who was caught by Rohit Sharma after scoring 41 off 30 balls, and Nick Kelly. The left-arm spinner’s controlled performance stood out in a match where New Zealand’s batting proved too strong.

Murali Kartik, the former India left-arm spinner who took 24 Test wickets and 37 ODI wickets across 8 Test and 37 ODI appearances, analysed Axar’s contribution. Kartik highlighted how Axar compensates for not being a traditional spinner by relying on his ability to read batters and adjust his pace effectively.

“He (Axar) bowled beautifully. He’s not a spinner; we all know that. So what he does is slow the ball down and vary his pace brilliantly. He’s one with a big heart and reads the batter. In spite of not having a lot of guile, he gets the most out of himself,” Kartik said on Cricbuzz Live.

Will Young anchored New Zealand’s innings with 125 runs off 108 balls, while Tim Seifert contributed a fifty to the Kiwis’ total. Auqib Nabi and Gurnoor Brar also bagged two wickets apiece but they proved to be expensive.

In reply, Ishan Kishan top-scored for the Men in Blue with a 53-ball 27. However, the writing was on the wall after India had lost three wickets in the first over of the run-chase, thanks to Matt Henry’s sensational new-ball bowling. The Kiwi pacer eventually finished with figures of 6/27 in 9.4 overs.

England captain Harry Brook has firmly stated that he has never witnessed ball tampering during his international career, after the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal was thrust back into the spotlight by Usman Khawaja’s newly released autobiography. Brook made the remarks ahead of the first ODI between England and Australia at Perth Stadium on November 12, 2026, with the eight-match white-ball series set to get under way at the venue.

Khawaja‘s autobiography, titled ‘Sabr’, was released on November 10, 2026, and contained claims that the entire Australian team was aware of sandpaper being used on the ball during the Cape Town Test at Newlands Cricket Ground in March 2018. He further alleged that sandpaper had been used in the previous Test at Port Elizabeth as well, significantly widening the scope of what was previously understood about the incident.

“I’ve never seen any ball tampering before. I wasn’t in that (Australia) dressing room. I think I was about 17 or 18 years old, so I was completely oblivious to any of that stuff. But we’re here in Australia, we’re looking forward to this series and all we can do is concentrate on ourselves and getting ourselves as ready as possible. We’re just trying to concentrate on ourselves at the minute. That’s all we can do. We’re here to play against a strong Australian side in their backyard,” Brook said in the pre-match press conference, as quoted by The Independent.

How did the 2018 sandpaper scandal unfold?

Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera using sandpaper on the ball on March 24, 2018, during that Cape Town Test. Following a Cricket Australia inquiry, Bancroft received a nine-month ban from domestic cricket, while David Warner was handed a twelve-month ban from international cricket and Steve Smith also faced sanctions.

David Warner subsequently endorsed Khawaja’s account, saying everything in the book was ‘100% accurate’. Despite the renewed attention, Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg confirmed that the governing body would not be reopening its 2018 investigation in light of the book’s revelations. Joe Root, whose first captaincy reign coincided with the original sandpaper saga, brushed off comments about tampering being commonplace among international teams during that time period.

“I can only speak from my own experiences and that’s not how I feel, no,” Root said to the local press, via the aforementioned source.

What is the state of England’s squad and recent form heading into the Perth ODI?

England‘s recent record in Western Australia also provides a sobering backdrop, with the side having lost a Test inside two days on their previous visit, being bowled out across overs 32.5 and 34.4 respectively. Australia’s white-ball captain Mitch Marsh will lead the hosts at Perth Stadium, the same venue where the most recent Ashes series began.

“Australia against England is always a good series and we’re looking forward to kickstarting it. We’re very happy to be out here. We’re all really raring to go here at Optus Stadium, which is where the last Ashes started. It’s an amazing place to play cricket – the atmosphere when we played here was unbelievable,” Brook said.

The Three Lions will be without seamer Josh Tongue, who picked up a toe injury, and have been dealt a further blow with the setback to Jacob Bethell, who has been out of action with a knee injury since July. He underwent surgery in September and was in line to feature in the series, but has flown back to England for scans after experiencing discomfort during a practice session. Brook expressed disappointment over the all-rounder’s absence.

“It’s very disappointing and I know how hard he’s [Bethell] worked over the last few months to try to get back. I’m very disappointed for him, everybody is, and he’s a little bit upset at the moment, but hopefully he’ll be back as quick as possible,” Brook added.