Mount Maunganui, Nov 13 (IANS) New Zealand pacer Matt Henry credited the team’s collective bowling effort after producing a career-best 6-27 to dismantle India’s batting line-up in the fourth ODI, saying the bowlers’ ability to adapt to conditions and maintain accuracy had been key to their success in the series.
Henry delivered a devastating first over, taking three wickets without conceding a run, as India were bowled out for 89 in 26.4 overs while chasing 334 at the Bay Oval on Friday. His six-wicket haul helped New Zealand register a massive 244-run victory and cut India’s lead in the five-match series to 2-1 with one match washed out.
Reflecting on his performance, Henry said the bowling unit had consistently put India’s world-class batting line-up under pressure throughout the series, even when the results had not gone their way.
“I think we were trying to be relentless as a bowling unit. The way we have been with the new ball throughout this series has been fantastic. We have shown that we can take wickets and put India, who have a world-class batting line-up, under pressure,” Henry said during the post-match press conference.
“We did it in the first two games as well, and although we were not on the right side of the results, I think we showed what we can do. Today, we managed to do it again. Seeing guys like Fish (Matthew Fisher) come in and grow at that pace has been awesome and really exciting for this group. Kyle (Jamieson) has also been outstanding with the new ball,” he added.
Asked about his match-defining opening over, Henry said keeping things simple and bringing the stumps into play were central to his approach, particularly with the wind influencing the conditions.
“At the end of the day, you are just trying to bring the stumps into play. It is about keeping things simple. Bowling into the breeze probably simplified my plan even more. Ironically, you are probably not as attacking as you would usually be, and being simple and accurate out there was effective. When the ball moves sharply like that, especially against batters facing their first ball, it is not easy,” he said.
Henry also explained how his ability to use mobile seam has helped him adapt to different conditions, stressing that accuracy and consistency were essential to making the variation effective.
“It has been important to me. On days like today, when you are not getting that out-swing shape, you can go to something effective. Adapting to conditions is really important. Kyle used it beautifully as well. He saw that the ball was seaming around and went to mobile seam,” he said.
“It is about trying to go to a place where you can be a threat. The key thing about mobile seam is actually being accurate and being able to do it for long enough because you don’t know which way the ball is going to go. You have to be in the right areas for an extended period of time,” Henry added.
Henry also acknowledged the threat posed by India’s experienced batting duo of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, saying their early wickets were crucial for New Zealand.
“They are world-class, and I have always loved the challenge of playing against them. They have definitely got the better of me many times as well. The experience they bring and the runs they continue to score make them very important wickets. They are two of the best chasers in ODI cricket, so you cannot give them a chance to get set,” he said.
Looking ahead to the Test series, Henry said New Zealand were expecting a challenging contest against India but remained focused on levelling the ongoing ODI series first. “I think it is going to be a really good series and something we are looking forward to. But we have one more game here in the ODIs, and for us, it is really important to try and level the series before we move forward to the Tests,” he said.
New Zealand will face India in the fifth and final ODI at the Bay Oval on Sunday, with the hosts looking to draw level and India aiming to seal the series.
–IANS
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