The heavy loss marked India's second major batting stumble of the tour, following an earlier slip to 111-7 during a rain-affected win in the second ODI. Gautam Gambhir noted that the rapid pace of the dismissals was far more concerning than the final total. These challenging New Zealand pitches mirror the balanced conditions expected in southern Africa rather than the batter-friendly surfaces found at home. India still holds a 2-1 lead in the five-match series heading into Sunday's final fixture.
Key points
The challenging conditions in New Zealand serve as critical preparation for the 2027 ODI…: The challenging conditions in New Zealand serve as critical preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
India maintains a 2-1 series lead after the third scheduled match was abandoned because o…: India maintains a 2-1 series lead after the third scheduled match was abandoned because of rain.
New Zealand has an opportunity to level the five-match series during the final game on Su…: New Zealand has an opportunity to level the five-match series during the final game on Sunday.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
Nov 13 : India head coach Gautam Gambhir said he was concerned by his side's batting collapses after they were bowled out for 89 in a 244-run loss to New Zealand in the fourth one-day international on Friday, with conditions resembling those they could face at next year's World Cup.
The visitors, who lead the five-match series 2-1, were skittled for 89 in Mount Maunganui after earlier slipping to 111-7 while chasing 135 in the rain-affected second ODI, which they narrowly won via the DLS method.
"You are always concerned when you get bundled out for 90-odd, why won't I be concerned?" Gambhir told reporters.
"I think I will be concerned because obviously these are conditions which are going to be closest to what we might get during the World Cup."
The 2027 ODI World Cup will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, where conditions are expected to offer a greater contest between bat and ball than the typically batter-friendly pitches in the Indian subcontinent.
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