Iyer out for golden duck on captaincy debut as India lose fourth ODI to New Zealand by 244 runs

Shreyas Iyer got his first chance to captain the Indian team in the fourth ODI against New Zealand, but the match turned into a nightmare for him. India suffered a 244-run defeat, their second-biggest in ODI cricket. Iyer also failed to open his account.

The match was played at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Batting first, New Zealand set India a target of 334. India's reply began very badly.

Matt Henry broke the back of the Indian batting by taking three key wickets in the first over. Rohit Sharma was out for no score off the first ball of the over. Virat Kohli followed for a duck off the fifth ball. Off the last ball of the over, Henry dismissed captain Shreyas Iyer as well. All three batsmen thus returned to the pavilion without scoring in the opening over.

Iyer was out for nought off his very first ball, a golden duck. Leading the Indian team in an ODI for the first time, he could not score a single run. He is the first Indian captain to be dismissed for a duck on captaincy debut, a record nobody would want. No Indian captain had done this before.

Until now, the lowest individual score by an Indian captain on ODI captaincy debut was 2 runs. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were each out for 2 in their first ODI as captain. Iyer has now gone below both, and the record for a duck on captaincy debut is his.

India could not recover from the blows of the first over. The whole side was bowled out for just 89. Henry took six wickets in the match and New Zealand won by 244 runs.