India head coach Gautam Gambhir expressed serious concerns over his team’s batting approach after their embarrassing 244-run defeat to New Zealand in the fourth ODI at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday, November 13. While acknowledging Matt Henry’s outstanding bowling performance, Gambhir felt India’s batters lacked the application required to survive challenging conditions.

New Zealand posted 333 runs after being asked to bat first. In reply, India suffered a dramatic collapse and were bowled out for just 89 in 26.4 overs while chasing 334. Henry led the destruction with remarkable figures of 6/27 in 9.4 overs, dismissing Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer for ducks in a sensational opening over.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Gambhir insisted that international batters must find ways to handle difficult deliveries rather than surrendering their wickets.

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“There are no unplayable deliveries in international cricket. We needed to see off the first 10 overs. Matt Henry bowled in good areas, but we should be able to negate that. You are always concerned when you get bundled out for 90-odd. These are conditions close to the World Cup,” Gautam Gambhir said, as quoted by NDTV.

India’s problems continued after the initial blows, with Ruturaj Gaikwad falling for five against Kyle Jamieson. Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel and Naman Dhir managed scores in the twenties, but none could provide the resistance needed to revive the chase.

The head coach also pointed to India’s struggles in the second ODI in Wellington, where the visitors slipped to 111/7 while chasing 135. Although India eventually secured a four-wicket victory under the DLS method, Gambhir admitted that repeated batting collapses were becoming a concern.

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“Even in the last game, we were 7 down for 111; it is a bit of a concern. We need to be mentally and skill-wise ready. 35-40/0 is fine in conditions like these. We have experience and can hopefully adapt in the last game,” he added.

Despite the heavy defeat, India continue to lead the five-match ODI series 2-1. They will have an opportunity to secure the series when both teams return to Bay Oval for the fifth and final ODI on Sunday.