New Zealand trail India 2–0 in the five-match T20I series, and both defeats were close: India chased 226 with two balls to spare, then 181 with one. The batting has produced two big totals. The harder question is the bowling, where an injury, a rest and a planned rotation mean the attack that starts the third match in Wellington will not look like the one that started the first.
What happened in Christchurch
The two matches followed a similar shape: New Zealand batted well, India chased well, and the margin was a handful of balls.
| Match | New Zealand | India | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I, 22 Oct | 225/4 (20 overs) | 226/6 (19.4 overs) | India by 4 wickets, 2 balls left |
| 2nd T20I, 24 Oct | 180/5 (20 overs) | 181 reached with 1 ball left | India by 4 wickets, 1 ball left |
In the opener, Glenn Phillips made an unbeaten 82 off 40 balls, Finn Allen hit 45 off 24 and New Zealand were 65/1 after the powerplay. India’s reply was faster still: Sanju Samson made 67 off 33, he and Abhishek Sharma put on 93 for the first wicket, and India were 94/1 after the powerplay. Shreyas Iyer added 42 off 28 and Naman Dhir finished unbeaten on 42 off 15.
The second game was tighter. New Zealand were 41/3 when Phillips (70 off 43) and Bevon Jacobs (58 off 46) added 116 for the fourth wicket. Mitchell Santner then took 4 for 21, and India were 70/5 in the 11th over. Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 51 off 26 and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 26 not out off 13 balls, with Dhir’s 31 off 17 earlier, took India home.
The batting is doing its job
Across the two games New Zealand scored 405 runs in 40 overs, 10.1 an over. India’s two chases came to at least 411 in 237 balls, 10.4 an over or more. Over the two games, the margin between the sides is three balls, which is not a batting failure. A team that makes 225 and 180 on consecutive nights is not short of runs.
That shifts the focus to the other innings. Two points are reported rather than visible on a scorecard: New Zealand conceded 17 extras in the first match, and captain Santner said the early extras cost them. He also said that the team missed a few chances, though he praised the fielding overall. Those are the captain’s words and not a full count of chances.
The pace attack, figure by figure
Reported bowling figures for New Zealand’s fast bowlers show how expensive the new-ball and death overs were. In the first match, Matt Henry went for 57 in 3.4 overs without a wicket, Lockie Ferguson took 1 for 34 from three, and Adam Milne 1 for 43 from three. That is 134 runs from 9.4 overs, about 13.9 an over. The report from the Star also notes that all five New Zealand bowlers used in that game conceded at least ten an over.
The second match was cheaper but still costly. Henry bowled a maiden and conceded 11 in two overs before leaving the field with what Santner called a tight calf. Ferguson took none for 37 from three. Jacob Duffy, who replaced Milne in the side, took 1 for 41 in 3.5 overs. The three together gave 89 runs from 8.5 overs, about 10.1 an over.
| Bowler | Status for the third T20I | Beyond that |
|---|---|---|
| Matt Henry | Out of the remaining T20Is (tight calf) | Joins the ODI squad in Auckland on 2 November |
| Lockie Ferguson | Misses the match; left the field as a precaution on Saturday | Expected back for the fourth and fifth T20Is |
| Kyle Jamieson | Available for this match only | Then plays a Ford Trophy match for Canterbury |
| Adam Milne | In the squad; rested from the second match as part of the rotation | Selection not confirmed |
| Blair Tickner | In the squad | Joins for the last three matches |
| Matt Fisher | Cover for Wellington | Returns to New Zealand A |
Both Henry and Ferguson were due to have scans on Tuesday, according to Telangana Today’s report of coach Rob Walter’s update, so their outlook may change. Walter said the rotation was planned from the start, to manage fast bowlers’ workloads ahead of the five-match ODI series and two Tests that follow the T20Is.
What to make of it: our reading
This section is editorial analysis and not confirmed fact. Three questions seem to matter most for New Zealand.
1. Who takes the new ball? India got 94/1 in the first powerplay and New Zealand’s extras were part of it. With Henry gone, the new-ball job passes to whichever combination of Duffy, Milne, Tickner or Jamieson plays. Jamieson’s record against India is a caution: Sports Tak’s preview lists three wickets in three T20Is against them at an economy of 14.44, a small sample, but an unflattering one.
2. How much does the chase help India? Both matches were chased, and Santner has pointed to dew, the 8 pm start and the toss as factors that will matter all series, according to the same preview. If that holds in Wellington, the bowling side’s plan has to survive a wet ball in the last five overs. That is a conditions question to check on the day and not a prediction.
3. Can Santner’s spin cover for the pace? His 4 for 21 turned the second game for a while, as India fell to 70/5. Whether New Zealand lean on spin more in Wellington depends on the pitch and on who plays. The final XI is not confirmed as we write, and previews disagree on it.
Fantasy angles to check
None of this is a recommendation. For anyone building a team, the useful checks are practical ones:
- Wait for the toss and confirmed XIs. Squad lists and “probable” XIs have already disagreed over Henry, Ferguson and Milne.
- Look at roles, not names: who bowls in the powerplay, who bowls at the death, and who bats in the top six.
- Check the conditions for the match. Dew and wind can change what a bowler is worth in the second innings.
- Read the contest’s own scoring table before relying on any stat above. Our scoring primer and pitch guide explain what to look for.
New Zealand are one stumble away from losing the series, but they have not been outplayed with the bat. The story to follow is who bowls the first and last overs now that the attack has been reshuffled. Treat any pre-toss pace-bowling assumption with caution; the lineup can change late.
Quick questions
Is Matt Henry out of the whole series?
He is out of the remaining T20Is with a tight calf, according to New Zealand Cricket’s update as reported on 25 October. He is due to join the ODI squad in Auckland on 2 November.
Will Lockie Ferguson play in Wellington?
No. He misses the third T20I and is expected back for the fourth and fifth, subject to scans.
Why is New Zealand rotating its fast bowlers?
Coach Rob Walter said it was planned to manage workloads before five ODIs and two Tests against India.
How close were the first two matches?
India won with two balls to spare in the first and one ball in the second, both by four wickets.
Where can I follow the series?
See our series preview for the schedule and squads, our analysis of India’s Wellington opening stand, and the ICC and New Zealand Cricket for official updates.
Sources
Squad and injury news: ICC, New Zealand lose key duo to injury for India T20I series (9 October). First match: The Star (Reuters), India overcome New Zealand fightback to win T20 opener; Telangana Today, Santner on extras. Second match: India.com match report. Pace changes: Telangana Today, Henry ruled out; Sports Tak, pace-attack changes and bowling figures; Khel Now, squad changes. Match time and venue: Cricket Addictor, third T20I preview. Where outlets differed on a detail, we left it out.