At Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval on Friday, the Kiwis posted 333 all out before restricting India to a mere 89 in just 26.4 overs, securing a 244-run victory that exposed the gulf between the two sides. The Men's performance highlighted India's fielding lapses and a batting collapse that left little room for recovery against disciplined fast bowling.

Will Young's unbeaten 125 proved decisive for New Zealand. Batting from 108 deliveries, the right-hander struck 14 fours and four sixes to record his fifth ODI century. Young capitalised on two early dropped catches to build a dominant knock, reaching his first fifty in 49 balls before accelerating sharply to his second fifty in just 39 deliveries, showcasing his ability to shift gears once established.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir acknowledged the impact of the missed opportunities against Young early in the clash.

"I thought Arsh [Arshdeep Singh] and Auqib bowled really well. 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. Once you are in, you want to try and make the most of it, and that is what Will Young did. He got those two chances and he made the most of it, and someone who gets 120 when you are batting first, obviously you have capitalised on the opportunities. Things could have been a lot different, but there is always hindsight to what you do because we dropped catches, no one else did, so we had to pay for it," Gambhir said in the post-match press conference (via Cricinfo).

How did Will Young capitalise on dropped catches?

Young received strong support from the New Zealand batting order. Tim Seifert and the right-hander combined for an 85-run opening partnership before Finn Allen joined Young in a 90-run stand from just 65 balls, accelerating the scoring rate in the middle overs. These partnerships allowed the Kiwis to build a total that proved well beyond India's reach.

What role did New Zealand's bowling play in India's collapse?

Matt Henry was the standout bowler for New Zealand, claiming six wickets for 27 runs as India's batting crumbled. Matthew Fisher added three wickets for 31 runs, with the pair dismantling India's batting lineup in a display of disciplined fast bowling. India's collapse to 89 all out underscored the gulf in performance between the two sides on the day.