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Matt Henry out of remaining T20Is as New Zealand reshuffle pace attack before 3rd T20I on 27 October
Matt Henry is out of the last three T20Is against India with a tight calf, and Blair Tickner is in. Lockie Ferguson misses the third T20I on workload, Kyle Jamieson returns for it, and Josh Clarkson joins for the last two. India lead 2-0, with the third T20I in Wellington on Tuesday.
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New Zealand have ruled Matt Henry out of the last three T20Is against India with a tight calf and brought in Blair Tickner, as they reshuffle their pace attack with the series 0-2 down. Henry left the field in the second T20I in Christchurch on Saturday after bowling just two overs. The third T20I is on Tuesday, 27 October, at Sky Stadium in Wellington.
Who is in and who is out
The announcement makes several changes.
- Matt Henry is out of the remaining three matches. He will stay in Christchurch and join the ODI squad in Auckland on 2 November.
- Blair Tickner has been added for the remaining three T20Is.
- Lockie Ferguson misses the third T20I as part of planned workload management. He travels to Auckland and rejoins the squad for the last two matches.
- Kyle Jamieson is available for the third T20I after missing the first two. He will miss the fourth and fifth, because he will play for Canterbury in the Ford Trophy on 31 October before joining the ODI squad.
- Josh Clarkson joins for the fourth and fifth T20Is.
- Matt Fisher travels to Wellington as cover for the third T20I and then goes back to the New Zealand A team.
Reports differ on details of Jamieson's availability, and one account has him leaving after the third match, which matches the official outline above.
The state of the series
India lead the five-match series 2-0. Both of their wins, in Christchurch, came by four wickets and went to the final over. In the second T20I, New Zealand made 180 for 5, with Glenn Phillips scoring 70 and Bevon Jacobs 58, and India got there with a ball to spare through unbeaten innings by Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Henry bowled a maiden in his first over at the start of India's chase and then left the field, and the pace attack that was left shared the rest.
The remaining fixtures are:
| Match | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd T20I | Sky Stadium, Wellington | 27 October |
| 4th T20I | Eden Park, Auckland | 30 October |
| 5th T20I | Seddon Park, Hamilton | 1 November |
The ODI series between the two sides starts on 4 November.
The figures from Christchurch show the problem. Henry went for 11 runs in two overs, including a maiden. Jacob Duffy took 1 for 41 in 3.5 overs, Nathan Smith 1 for 34 in three, Lockie Ferguson went wicketless for 37 in three and Michael Bracewell for 35 in four. Only Santner, with 4 for 21 in his four overs, was cheap. New Zealand's bowling was not their strength in Christchurch. Their spinner Mitchell Santner took four wickets, but the fast bowlers were expensive, and now Henry, their most experienced new-ball bowler, is out. Jamieson brings height and bounce, which may suit a Wellington pitch and its wind, and For the third match, the side will be without both Henry and Ferguson, so they will depend on Jamieson, Jacob Duffy and Nathan Smith.
The rotation is also part of a plan for a busy period. New Zealand have an ODI series against India from 4 November, and they have chosen to protect bowlers for it, which is why Henry will go straight into the ODI group and why Ferguson and Jamieson have been given breaks. That reduces New Zealand's chance of a quick fightback in the T20Is, but it keeps their key bowlers fit for the 50-over format.
India have their own injury concerns. Ishan Kishan was ruled out of the series with an adductor strain before the second match, and Kumar Kushagra was called up as cover. With a 2-0 lead, India need one more win in the remaining three matches to take the series, and a win in Wellington would settle it. For New Zealand, the third match is the one that decides whether the series is still alive, since a third defeat would end it with two matches still to be played, and they will have to find an answer to the same chase that India have now managed twice.
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