Hard lengths, hard times — How Matt Henry kept New Zealand alive against India

Henry and new-ball partner Kyle Jamieson ensured that by the end of the PowerPlay, India was 26 for four with its hopes of completing the chase of 334 effectively dead in the water.

Updated : Nov 13, 2026 16:47 IST , CHENNAI - 3 MINS READ

Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson claimed four wickets in the PowerPlay. | Photo Credit: AP

Perhaps the telltale sign was the length.

Matt Henry was so convinced he had Shreyas Iyer trapped leg-before that he launched into a celebration, oblivious to the fact that on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena had not given him his third wicket in his first over back in the New Zealand team in Mount Maunganui.

A quick DRS check confirmed that the ball was crashing into the stumps. India was suddenly 0 for three in its chase of 334, with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and captain Shreyas back in the dressing room.

At the heart of the astonishing collapse was Henry’s command of length. He consistently hit the right areas, alternating between good and hard lengths to make the most of his trademark seam movement and sow doubt in the minds of the Indian batters.

Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson primarly operated in the good and hard lengths for New Zealand. | Photo Credit: Cricviz

Rohit was the first to go, fencing at a delivery that moved away just enough to take the edge. Kohli nearly followed in similar fashion, playing and missing at the next ball. His reprieve lasted only two deliveries, however, as he inside-edged a delivery that kept low onto his stumps.

Shreyas fell the very next ball, compounding India’s misery.

“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,” Henry told the broadcasters, reflecting on his spell.

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“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 the first ball, it’s pretty tough.”

At the other end, Henry’s new-ball partner Kyle Jamieson maintained the pressure and claimed the fourth wicket, dismissing Ruturaj Gaikwad in a fashion similar to Rohit’s dismissal.

By the end of the PowerPlay, India was 26 for four, its hopes of chasing down the target all but extinguished. The New Zealand pacers had barely deviated from their lengths, with 80 per cent of their deliveries landing in the good- and hard-length areas.

Economy was another striking feature of the opening spell. While the Indian bowlers were perhaps guilty of offering too many release deliveries, Henry and Jamieson remained disciplined in their commitment to line and length. They conceded just two runs off 32 good-length deliveries and 10 off 17 back-of-a-length balls.

In the first 10 overs alone, New Zealand bowled 49 dot balls, compared to India’s 34.

The performance has kept New Zealand’s hopes of avoiding a series defeat alive. It trails 1-2 heading into the decider, where the new ball could once again prove decisive. If the first four ODIs are any indication, the battle to find and exploit the right length may well determine the outcome.