Mount Maunganui: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar made a cheeky remark about the Indian batting collapse after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were dismissed for ducks during the fourth ODI against New Zealand at Bay Oval on Friday, November 13.

India suffered a massive 244-run defeat after being bowled out for just 89 while chasing New Zealand’s target of 334. The collapse prompted Gavaskar to joke that viewers would have had another opportunity to watch the two senior batters if the match had featured the follow-on rule used in Test cricket.

Speaking on Sony Sports after the match, Gavaskar referred to the conversation he and others had shared while watching the game.

“They have won by 244 runs. It’s a massive win. We were sitting in the lounge and making fun. Had there been a follow-on, we would have got one more chance to watch Rohit and Virat. However, one more match is left,” he said.

The comment was delivered in a lighthearted tone following a difficult afternoon for India’s batting line-up. Both Rohit and Kohli returned to the pavilion without scoring, while stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer also failed to open his account.

Matt Henry dismantles India’s top order

New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry was at the centre of India’s collapse, producing a devastating opening over that left the visitors three wickets down without a run on the board.

Rohit was dismissed off the first delivery of the innings. Henry found movement away from the right-hander, who edged the ball to first slip. Kohli followed five balls later, departing for a four-ball duck after the delivery stayed low and beat his attempted defence.

Iyer became Henry’s third victim in the same over, trapped leg-before wicket for a golden duck. India were reduced to 0/3 after the opening over, putting the chase under immediate pressure.

Henry continued to trouble the Indian batters and finished with figures of 6 for 27 in 9.4 overs. His spell earned him the Player of the Match award and played a decisive role in New Zealand’s emphatic victory.

Kyle Jamieson also contributed with three wickets as India failed to establish any meaningful partnerships. Ishan Kishan top-scored with 27, while Axar Patel and Naman Dhir made 21 each. The innings ended at 89 in 26.4 overs.

Gavaskar credits New Zealand’s exceptional bowling

Although Gavaskar joked about the possibility of another Rohit-Kohli batting appearance, he also defended the Indian batters by highlighting the quality of New Zealand’s bowling.

He praised Henry’s line and length, the movement he generated and his use of occasional short deliveries. Gavaskar agreed with Iyer’s assessment that the Indian batters had been dismissed by quality deliveries rather than throwing their wickets away carelessly.

“The bowling was exceptional, given the line and length Matt Henry bowled and the way he was moving the ball, and he was also bowling an odd bouncer. It wasn’t easy to bat. As Shreyas said, no one threw their wicket. They got out to good balls, and it happens at times,” Gavaskar said.

His comments acknowledged the difficulty of batting against a fast bowler who was consistently able to move the ball and challenge the batters’ technique.

Gavaskar explains Rohit’s first-ball dismissal

Gavaskar also offered a detailed assessment of Rohit’s dismissal, describing it as particularly difficult to avoid because it came off the very first delivery of India’s innings.

He explained that an opening batter has little opportunity to understand how the pitch is behaving before facing the first few deliveries. Had Rohit faced five or six balls, he might have gained a better idea of the movement and adjusted his footwork accordingly.

“Your footwork might have worked a little had it been the fifth or sixth ball, and you might have gotten a little idea about how the ball was going from the pitch. So a little adjustment could have been made. However, that’s the problem for opening batters. At times, the ball moves so much in the first one or two overs that you have no chance,” he said.

Gavaskar compared Henry’s delivery to the kind of outswing Kapil Dev used to generate early in his career. He recalled how even established batters could be squared up by such deliveries.

“He got squared up totally. Kapil (Dev) used to bowl such balls. When he started, he had such good outswing for the first three or four years that big players used to get squared up totally. It was such a good ball, and that too the first ball,” Gavaskar added.

India look to respond in the final ODI

New Zealand’s victory reduced India’s lead in the five-match series to 2-1. The third ODI had ended without a result because of rain, leaving the final match important for both sides.

India will have an opportunity to secure the series in the fifth ODI, scheduled for Sunday, November 15. New Zealand, meanwhile, will aim to level the contest after keeping their hopes alive with the 244-run victory.

Gavaskar’s humorous follow-on remark captured the scale of India’s batting failure, but his analysis also underlined the quality of New Zealand’s bowling. The visitors will need a more resilient batting performance in the final match if they are to finish the series on a winning note.