Matt Henry delivered a career-best bowling performance of 6/27 and revealed how the strong wind at Bay Oval influenced his strategy and helped him trouble India’s batters.
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Matt Henry claiming a career-best figure against India in the 4th ODI(Photo: X)
IND vs NZ 4th ODI: New Zealand pacer Matt Henry produced a sensational bowling display to lead his team to a massive 244-run victory over India in the fourth ODI at Bay Oval on FridayThe fast bowler was key in the rout of India for a mere 89, with personal best figures of 6 for 27.
Henry made an immediate impact during India’s chase, picking up three wickets in the very first over without conceding a single runRohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer were all dismissed as India suffered a terrible start and failed to recover from the early damage.
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Matt Henry condemns India to second-biggest loss in ODI history, NZ pacer bags six-wicket haul
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Matt Henry couldn’t have scripted a more explosive start!
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After the match, Henry revealed that the strong wind at Bay Oval influenced his bowling approachInstead of focusing on swing, he decided to keep things simple and target the stumps.
Matt Henry Explains His Bowling Plan Against India
Speaking during the post-match presentation, Henry said the windy conditions made him focus more on his basic strengths rather than looking for swing.
“Well, especially with the way the wind was going, I wasn’t too worried about the swingSo from ball one it was just about trying to have the strengths and bring the stumps in play, really.
“We knew that there was a small window there with the new ball that you could put the batters under pressureSo just trying to be as simple as possible, obviously, and when it moves sharply like that in the first over, when people are facing first ball, it’s pretty tough,” said Henry.
The New Zealand pacer also spoke about his three-wicket maiden in the opening overHe admitted that while having a clear plan was important, luck also played a part in his success.
“Yeah, it’s quite funny, isn’t it? The wind was so strong and it was keeping things pretty simple, and it’s funny when you’re actually trying to have a simple game planA bit of luck as wellOne shot a little bit low there too, so maybe the wind pushed me a bit sideways.”
Henry Happy To Return After Concussion Setback
The fourth ODI was Henry’s first appearance in the series after he missed the earlier matches due to a concussion suffered in a collision with Devon Conway.
The fast bowler was pleased to return to the field and admitted that the incident had delayed his plans.
“Great to be backObviously it’s been a funny odd yearSo, good to be back here with some one-day cricket.”
“It wasn’t ideal, colliding heads with Dev (Devon Conway)I think I take a bit of responsibility on that one tooSo, not ideal, but it just pushed things back a little bitBut thankfully we’re doing alright now.”
Henry also explained that taking enough time to recover was important, especially with a busy home season ahead.
“Yeah, I think that was the key partObviously once you have a head knock like that, you just got to be really careful and it pushed things back a bitBut this is really key for moving forward to what is a huge summer for us.”
What a performance in Tauranga
Matt Henry with a career-best of 6/27 leads the BLACKCAPS to a 244 run win.
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New Zealand Eye Series-Level Result In Final ODI
Despite his outstanding performance, Henry remained cautious about New Zealand’s chances in the seriesIndia went into the fourth ODI with a 2-1 lead, meaning the hosts still need to win the final match to level the series.
“Oh, I don’t want to get too carried awayNo, they’re a world-class outfit, and I think that’s the message that we were saying right throughThey can bat deep, and yeah, look, it’s one game and we’ve got another one coming up soon that hopefully we can level the series.”
Henry will now join New Zealand’s Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against India, which begins on November 19He said the team will begin preparations with a training camp.
“Yeah, join in with the Test squadWe’ve got a bit of a training camp, just get the red ball in hand and then just get ready for next week,” he concluded.
