SRINAGAR: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has defended Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi following India’s 244-run defeat to New Zealand in the fourth ODI, saying the debutant was unfortunate after two catches were dropped off his bowling early in the hosts’ innings.

Nabi twice induced edges from New Zealand opener Will Young during the opening overs, but India failed to capitalise on either opportunity, with Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan dropping the catches. Young made the most of the reprieves, going on to score a crucial 125 runs.

Addressing the fielding lapses at the post-match press conference on Friday, Gambhir said the missed opportunities had potentially altered the course of the match.

“Auqib was a bit unlucky because had we got Will Young in that first couple of overs, probably things could have been a lot different. We dropped catches, no one else did, so we had to pay for it,” Gambhir said.

Both chances came in the same over when Young was batting on five. The opener went on to score 125 off 108 deliveries, helping New Zealand post 333 runs before being bowled out in 50 overs.

Nabi returned figures of two wickets for 59 runs, while Gurnoor Brar and Axar Patel also claimed two wickets apiece.

India’s batting, however, collapsed in the run chase, with the visitors dismissed for just 89 in 26.4 overs while chasing a target of 334. New Zealand secured a 244-run victory, with Matt Henry leading the bowling attack with figures of six for 27.

The defeat also raised concerns over India’s recurring batting collapses, with Gambhir emphasising the need for the batters to improve their ability to adapt to challenging conditions.