Virat Kohli showed his appreciation for Matt Henry’s outstanding bowling performance by gifting the New Zealand pacer his India jersey after the fourth ODI at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on November 13. Kohli endured a rare disappointment with the bat, scoring a four-ball duck, but made a point of acknowledging Henry’s match-winning contribution after India suffered a humiliating 244-run defeat. Henry had not enjoyed a particularly memorable outing in the earlier matches of the series.

However, the experienced fast bowler produced a sensational performance in the fourth ODI, finishing with figures of 6/27 in 9.4 overs. His spell dismantled India’s batting lineup as the visitors were bundled out for just 89 while chasing a target of 334. New Zealand had earlier posted 333 runs, built around Will Young’s impressive 125 off 108 deliveries. Henry then took charge with the ball, removing India’s top three batters in a devastating opening over.

Rohit Sharma and Kohli were both dismissed for ducks, while stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer also failed to open his account. The dismissals of Rohit and Kohli marked only the second occasion in ODI cricket that both Indian batters had been dismissed for zero in the same innings. The previous instance occurred against Sri Lanka in Dambulla in 2010.

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Following the match, Kohli approached Henry and presented him with his India jersey as a gesture of respect for the New Zealand bowler’s exceptional performance. The moment attracted attention, particularly given Kohli’s dismissal at the hands of the pacer earlier in the innings.

Virat Kohli gifted his jersey to Matt Henry after the 4th ODI 💙🖤

📸: Blackcaps via Instagram https://t.co/zUVYvylz3h

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) November 13, 2026

Speaking after the match, Henry reflected on the challenging conditions at Bay Oval and admitted that luck had also played a part in his remarkable spell. He explained how the strong wind influenced his bowling while he focused on keeping his plans straightforward. “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,” Matt Henry said in a post-match interview, as quoted by IndiaToday.

The pacer also explained how he targeted the stumps with the new ball instead of worrying too much about generating swing. He believed the early overs offered an opportunity to put India’s batters under pressure.

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“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 in play, really. 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 first ball, it’s pretty tough,” he added.

Henry’s six-wicket haul helped New Zealand reduce India’s lead in the five-match ODI series to 2-1. The teams will now meet in the fifth and final ODI, with India aiming to seal the series and New Zealand looking to draw level.