In a display of sportsmanship that transcended the intensity of the contest,
Footage released by the Blackcaps’ official social media channels showed the two players sharing a brief conversation before Kohli handed over the shirt, acknowledging the impact of Henry’s spell. The New Zealand quick was instrumental in the result, dismantling the Indian batting order with career-best figures of 6/27 as the home side was bundled out for just 89 runs in 26.4 overs.
Henry's opening burst seals India's collapse
The match was effectively decided in the opening exchanges, as Henry tore through India's top order. He claimed the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer for ducks in his first over, leaving the hosts in a position from which they never recovered. The collapse drew immediate comparisons to New Zealand's clinical performance against India during the 2019 World Cup semifinal.
Henry’s dominance against India continues to grow, with the pacer now having claimed four or more wickets against the side on four occasions across just 12 ODI innings—a record shared by any bowler. Furthermore, his six-wicket haul moved him level with Shane Bond for the third-highest number of five-wicket hauls by a New Zealand player in the format, trailing only Richard Hadlee and Trent Boult.
New Zealand's batting foundation
Before the bowling heroics, New Zealand set a formidable target of 334. Will Young was the standout performer, scoring 125 off 108 balls, a knock featuring 14 fours and four sixes. Young benefited from two early reprieves before anchoring the innings, first through an 85-run partnership with Tim Seifert, who contributed a brisk 58, and later through a 90-run stand with Finn Allen, who added 41.
Late contributions from Mitchell Santner, Kristian Clarke, and Kyle Jamieson ensured the visitors crossed the 300-run mark. While Axar Patel, Auqib Nabi, and Gurnoor Brar each claimed two wickets for India, the bowling attack could not prevent the mounting total. In the chase, Ishan Kishan top-scored for India with 27, but the team failed to find any rhythm against the New Zealand attack. Despite the heavy loss, India maintains a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, with the final fixture set to decide the series winner.
