Sometimes, scenes unfold on the cricket field that are hard to believe. Something of this nature occurred during the fourth ODI between India and New Zealand. Big innings were expected from experienced batters like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, yet neither could even get off the mark. Furthermore, Shreyas Iyer—captaining the Indian side in an ODI for the first time—was also dismissed for a duck. New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry put India in a precarious position by claiming three wickets in the very first over of the innings. In the process, the Indian team found itself saddled with an unwanted record in ODI cricket.
New Zealand sets India a target of 334 runs
The fourth match of the five-match ODI series between India and New Zealand is currently underway. Indian captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first. Batting first, New Zealand posted 333 runs, anchored by a brilliant century from Will Young, leaving India with a target of 334 runs for victory.
As India began their pursuit of this substantial target, much was expected from stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli; however, the entire complexion of the match shifted within the very first over.
Matt Henry claims three wickets in the opening over
Matt Henry bowled the first over for New Zealand. Rohit Sharma, facing the first delivery, was dismissed without scoring. Virat Kohli, who came in next, could not stay at the crease for long either; he faced four balls before losing his wicket on the fifth delivery of the over.
Captain Shreyas Iyer then walked out to bat, only to be dismissed on the final ball of the same over. With this, Matt Henry secured three wickets in the opening over, leaving the Indian team at 3 for 3—without a single run on the board.
Rohit and Kohli both dismissed for ducks in the same match—a first in 16 years
It is an exceptionally rare occurrence for both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to be dismissed for ducks in the same ODI match. Prior to this, in an ODI match between India and Sri Lanka in 2010, both these batters had returned to the pavilion without opening their accounts.
In that encounter, Virat Kohli faced three deliveries, while Rohit Sharma was dismissed after facing two balls. However, Virender Sehwag played a crucial role in securing a victory for the Indian team by scoring an unbeaten 99 runs off 100 balls.
Fifth instance in ODI history where a team lost three wickets for zero runs
It is extremely rare for a team to lose its first three wickets in an ODI International without a single run on the board. Previously, this had occurred with Pakistan (in 1983 and 1997), Bangladesh (in 2003), and Australia (in 2026).
Now, the Indian team has also been added to this list. Notably, this is the first time in India’s ODI history that the team has lost its first three wickets without scoring a single run. Matt Henry’s brilliant spell of bowling made the contest thrilling right from the start.
