India vs New Zealand: Injury Blows, Nabi Call-Up Near

The India vs New Zealand series keeps getting more exciting, but injuries are also becoming a growing concern. Several players were unavailable before the series began, and fresh fitness problems are now testing the depth of both teams.

New Zealand’s problems began with Rachin Ravindra missing the T20Is. Their pace attack then suffered another setback when Matt Henry became unavailable for the remaining matches. Now, another important fast bowler has joined that list.

Lockie Ferguson Ruled Out of Remaining T20Is

Lockie Ferguson, who missed the third T20I, has now been ruled out of the fourth and fifth matches because of a calf injury.

The fast bowler experienced pain in his right calf during the second T20I in Christchurch. Scans confirmed a low-grade tear, and he is expected to need around another week to recover.

Matt Fisher has been named as his replacement. He had already joined the squad in Wellington as bowling cover for the third match and will now stay for the remaining two games. New Zealand can consider him for their playing XI as they rebuild their pace attack.

Henry also suffered a low-grade tear in his right quadricep during the second T20I. His absence from the remaining matches had already been planned as part of workload management, but the injury has added a recovery concern ahead of the ODIs.

New Zealand remain hopeful that both Henry and Ferguson will be available for their scheduled ODI appearances.

India’s Injury Concerns Continue to Grow

India have continued to win matches, but their fitness concerns are also increasing.

Jasprit Bumrah has been rested from the ODI series with the Tests in mind. Hardik Pandya remains absent, while questions around the fitness of Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna had already left India waiting for clarity over their pace options.

Prasidh was selected for the New Zealand tour subject to fitness clearance. The hope was that he would recover in time, but the latest development suggests India will have to manage without him in the ODIs.

According to a PTI report citing a BCCI source, Prasidh will miss the five-match ODI series because he has not fully recovered from his hamstring injury.

He sustained the injury during the home ODI series against West Indies. His match simulation and fitness assessments are scheduled for November 1 and 2, with the management prioritising his readiness for the Test series.

His absence would be a major setback for an Indian ODI attack that has struggled for consistency. Prasidh had looked one of its more effective options, while his ability to generate extra bounce could have been particularly useful on New Zealand’s surfaces.

With Bumrah rested, losing Prasidh would also leave Mohammed Siraj with fewer experienced fast-bowling partners.

Auqib Nabi Could Get an Earlier ODI Call-Up

That opens an opportunity for Auqib Nabi, who has strengthened his case with his performance for India A against New Zealand A in Lincoln.

The Jammu and Kashmir pacer is in contention to replace Prasidh in the squad for the opening three ODIs. He has already been selected for the fourth and fifth matches, so the potential change would bring him into the ODI group earlier. Official confirmation of that replacement is still awaited.

Nabi’s international debut against West Indies did not go to plan. He conceded 84 runs in 8.5 overs, the most by an Indian bowler on ODI debut.

However, his performance in New Zealand showed why he remains an option. His three-wicket burst in New Zealand A’s second innings, along with the movement he generated, caught the attention of the touring selectors.

When conditions offer assistance, Nabi’s swing and accurate lengths can make him difficult to handle. His ability to keep batters playing could be valuable in New Zealand, while his lower-order batting gives India another useful option.

The challenge will be to turn that promise into an effective ODI performance, including when the ball gets older and movement becomes harder to find.

Updated New Zealand T20I Squad for the Final Two Matches

Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Bevon Jacobs, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner.

Ferguson and Henry are unavailable. Kyle Jamieson’s scheduled involvement ended after the third T20I.

India’s ODI Squads

First three ODIs — projected update with Auqib Nabi replacing Prasidh Krishna, pending official confirmation:

Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Auqib Nabi and Kuldeep Yadav.

Fourth and fifth ODIs — announced squad:

Shreyas Iyer (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (vice-captain/wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav.