Online Sports Desk
After Matt Henry ran past India’s batting unit with a remarkable six-wicket haul, there is a sigh of relief for the Men in Blue as the star pacer will miss the fifth and final game of the series, which will also take place at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday (November 15). The game is a vital one as the series is still on the line, with India leading 2-1 as things stand.
In the fourth ODI on Friday (November 13), Henry took six wickets while giving away just 27 runs as India were bowled out for 88 and lost by a massive 244-run margin. This included a triple-wicket maiden over in the opening over, which led to India being left reeling at 0/3 as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer were dismissed.
Henry extended his remarkable record against India as he has 27 wickets in 12 ODIs with two five-wicket hauls. This included a remarkable display in the 2019 World Cup semi-final where he was integral to New Zealand’s win with a 3-37 spell which included the wickets of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, as India were reduced to 5-3.
Why Matt Henry Will Not Play 5th ODI?
Henry will be rested for the final game of the series ahead of the two-match Test series between the two teams, which will start on November 19. This is in line with several Test specialists being rested by the hosts. The likes of Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, and Nathan Smith left the ODI squad after the third game to prepare, while Henry will be joined by Kylie Jamieson, who will leave after today’s game.
India have taken a similar approach, as Jasprit Bumrah was not included in the ODI team while Nitish Kumar Reddy was released from the camp after the first match. Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Anshul Kamboj joined the Test camp after the third ODI. Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav are the only players who are part of the Test squad and are part of the squad for the final ODIs.
