New Zealand: Virat Kohli displayed a gracious gesture towards New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry by gifting him his Indian team jersey after the Kiwi pacer delivered a career-best performance to guide his side to a massive 244-run victory over India in the fourth ODI at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday.
Despite being dismissed for a four-ball duck by Henry, Kohli met the New Zealand pacer after the match and presented him with his jersey. The two players were seen exchanging smiles and having a brief conversation, in a gesture that reflected the spirit of mutual respect between cricketers.
The moment was shared by the official New Zealand cricket team’s social media account, drawing attention from cricket fans.
Henry’s devastating opening spell
Henry was the architect of India’s batting collapse, producing a remarkable opening spell that left the visitors reeling at 0/3.
The right-arm fast bowler dismissed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer in the opening over, handing India an unwanted record. It was the first time in men’s ODI cricket that India had lost their first three wickets without scoring a run.
Kohli was dismissed on the fifth ball of the innings. After initially bowling deliveries moving away from the right-hander, Henry brought one back sharply. The ball stayed low and sneaked through the gap between Kohli’s bat and pads to hit the stumps.
The dismissal ended Kohli’s stay at the crease after just four deliveries, dealing an early blow to India’s hopes of chasing the target.
Henry then removed Shreyas Iyer, who was leading the side in the match, for a golden duck. The New Zealand pacer trapped him leg-before-wicket, with the decision confirmed following a review.
Career-best figures of 6/27
Henry continued to trouble the Indian batting line-up and finished with career-best ODI figures of six wickets for 27 runs.
After his extraordinary opening over, he returned to dismiss Ishan Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav and Gurnoor Brar, completing a six-wicket haul that played a decisive role in New Zealand’s emphatic victory.
India’s batting line-up struggled to recover from the early collapse. Ishan Kishan scored 27 runs, while Axar Patel and Naman Dhir contributed 21 runs each. However, the visitors could not build a substantial partnership or mount a serious challenge in the chase.
Henry’s performance ensured that New Zealand remained in control throughout India’s innings and secured a 244-run victory.
Henry credits simple plans and conditions
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Henry reflected on his outstanding performance and the three-wicket opening over.
He said the strong wind at Bay Oval had influenced the conditions and that he had tried to keep his approach simple rather than focus excessively on swing.
“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 plan. A bit of luck as well. One shot a little bit low there too, so maybe the wind pushed me a bit sideways,” Henry said.
Explaining his approach with the new ball, he said he had focused on bowling to his strengths and bringing the stumps into play.
“Well, especially with the way the wind was going, I wasn’t too worried about the swing. So from ball one it was just about trying to have the strengths and bring the stumps into play, really,” he said.
Henry added that New Zealand had identified an opportunity to put the Indian batters under pressure during the initial overs.
“We knew that there was a small window there with the new ball that you could put the batters under pressure. So just trying to be as simple as possible, obviously, and when it moves sharply like that in the first over, when people are facing the first ball, it’s pretty tough,” he added.
Kohli’s gesture draws attention
While Henry’s six-wicket haul dominated the match, Kohli’s gesture after the defeat also became a talking point.
The Indian batter, who was among the three victims of Henry’s opening-over burst, chose to acknowledge the New Zealand bowler’s performance by presenting him with his jersey.
The interaction between the two players offered a sporting moment after a difficult outing for India. Henry’s exceptional bowling had helped New Zealand register a comprehensive victory, while Kohli’s gesture underlined the respect that players can show one another regardless of the result on the field.