India head coach Gautam Gambhir was not pleased with the team's batting performance after the side was bowled out for just 89 runs in the fourth ODI against New Zealand on Friday.
New Zealand had posted a total of 333 runs after batting first, setting up expectations of a high-scoring contest. However, India's chase fell apart almost immediately, with Matt Henry striking three times in the first over.
The New Zealand pacer dismissed Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, with all three batters departing for ducks.
ALSO READ: David Warner Accuses Pat Cummins Of Throwing Usman Khawaja 'Under The Bus' Over Sandpapergate
Speaking at the press conference after the match, Gambhir refused to describe Henry's deliveries as 'unplayable'. He said the issue was with the batters' execution rather than the quality of the deliveries.
"There are no unplayable deliveries in international cricket. We needed to see off the first 10 overs. Matt Henry bowled in good areas, but we should be able to negate that. You are always concerned when you get bundled out for 90-odd. These are conditions close to the World Cup. Even in the previous game we lost seven wickets; it's a concern," said Gambhir in the post-match press conference at Bay Oval.
The India head coach added that this was becoming a concern for him, particularly given the team's repeated batting collapses.
Gambhir also referred to the second ODI against New Zealand, which India won via the DLS method. Despite the victory, India had lost seven wickets for just 111 runs in that match.
"Even in the last game, we were 7 down for 111; it is a bit of a concern. We need to be mentally and skill-wise ready. 35-40/0 is fine in conditions like these. We have experience and can hopefully adapt in the last game," said the head coach.
For Gambhir, such collapses happening regularly are a matter of concern and something the team needs to address.
Gautam Gambhir On India's Bowling And Fielding
While Gambhir had concerns about the batting performance, he did not have many complaints about the bowling unit, despite New Zealand scoring 333 runs in their first innings.
Instead, he felt India could have done better in the field. He pointed to the catches dropped by the Indian players as an area where the team needed to improve.
"Aqib Nabi was unlucky; had we got Will Young, it could have been different. There's always hindsight. We dropped catches and will have to pay for it. All of us should be proud of our bowling unit."
ALSO READ: Pat Cummins Calls Usman Khawaja's Sandpapergate Claims 'Complete Nonsense', Says '100% Wrong'
When asked about tackling the wobble seam, which seemed to have been a problem in this match, Gambhir said: "I don't go into technicalities. There wasn't a lot of deviation; it's the job of the batter to negate movement. More than seam, areas and length created problems for us. We got stuck in the crease."
India will now face New Zealand in the fifth ODI on Sunday. New Zealand will be looking to level the series 2-2 with a win in that match.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.