Black Caps v India result: Will Young century, Matt Henry six-wicket haul see New Zealand to huge ODI victory

Detailed summary

From 256-4 in the 37th over, the Black Caps middle and lower order couldn’t capitalise on the platform set by Young, Seifert and Allen, with cameos from Mitchell Santner (24),…

While any hope of a One-Day International series win against India was washed away in Hamilton, the Black Caps’ chances of escaping with a draw remain intact.

Down 2-0 in the best-of-five series, New Zealand have pulled a 244-run victory back at Mt Maunganui’s Bay Oval, and set themselves up to try and save the series in the finale on Sunday.

With their backs to the wall to protect their six-year home ODI series unbeaten run – with 11 wins out of 11 attempts since the start of 2020 – the Black Caps put in their most complete performance of India’s tour, so far.

India’s stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer’s call to bowl first proved to be a good toss for the Black Caps to lose, as New Zealand hammered 333 from their innings before bowling the visitors out for 89 in reply.

New Zealand’s total was built on a career-best 125 Will Young, who cashed in after struggling earlier in the series, with just 15 runs from the first two matches. The opener hammered his fifth ODI century, and arguably his best, after playing second-fiddle to the pair of Tim Seifert (58 off 48 balls) and Finn Allen (41 off 30), in stands worth 85 and 90 respectively.

And while India’s gargantuan lineup would have fancied their chances in batter-friendly conditions, 6-27 from Matt Henry put paid to any notion of the visitors sealing the series.

Making his only appearance of the series before he departs for test duties, Henry knocked the top off India’s batting order. For the thousands of fans who packed into Bay Oval to watch superstar pair Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, neither even got off the mark, as Henry produced a triple-wicket maiden first up, and returned to complete his fourth ODI five-wicket haul.

The only negative for Sunday’s finale, is that the Black Caps will have to do it without Henry, as he departs to join the rest of the test squad in Wellington before next week’s opener at the Basin Reserve.

Sent in after another lost toss, the Black Caps’ openers made hay in the best batting conditions of the…

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