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Iyer's India open New Zealand tour at Hagley Oval with openers and Bhuvneshwar in focus
The first of five T20Is starts at 12:30 pm IST on Thursday in Christchurch, a ground where India have never played a T20I. Mitchell Santner's side have studied Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, though the young batter may have to wait.
Key points
- The first T20I at Hagley Oval starts at 12:30 pm IST (8 pm local) on Thursday.
- India have never played a T20I at Hagley Oval, where first-innings scores average 161.
- India lead the T20I head-to-head 19-11, with one tie.
India begin a long tour of New Zealand on Thursday with the first of five T20Is at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, a ground where they have never played the format. The match starts at 8 pm local time, 12:30 pm IST, under lights on what is expected to be a chilly evening.
Shreyas Iyer leads a side that arrives straight from a 2-2 draw with West Indies at home, a series that ended when the decider in Bengaluru was washed out. Mitchell Santner captains New Zealand, who have had to replace two injured players: Josh Clarkson and Blair Tickner come in for Mark Chapman and Zak Foulkes.
India’s selection questions
The main puzzle for India is at the top of the order. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are the likely openers, with Ishan Kishan another left-handed option. That may leave Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the young batter who has had New Zealand’s attention, waiting for his chance; Iyer has indicated as much. New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy was reported to have said that his side had studied Sooryavanshi and had plans for him.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return is the other talking point. The 36-year-old was called into the squad for the Bengaluru decider as cover for Arshdeep Singh, who took a blow to his bowling shoulder in Hyderabad, and his new-ball swing could suit a fresh Hagley pitch. Arshdeep is also in the touring party.
India squad: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.
New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Josh Clarkson, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner.
The ground and the record
Hagley Oval has hosted 15 men’s T20Is, with teams batting first averaging 161 and those chasing 145. The highest total there is 236 for 4 and the lowest 91. Devon Conway has made the most runs at the ground, 332, including an unbeaten 99, and Duffy holds the best figures, 4 for 14. The pitch is expected to be lively early, with dew likely to play a part later in the evening.
India lead the overall T20I head-to-head 19-11, with one tie. In New Zealand the record is far closer: six wins for India, five for New Zealand and one tie in 12 matches.
A long trip
The five T20Is are only the start. Five ODIs follow from 4 November, with Shubman Gill and Iyer sharing the captaincy, and two Tests begin on 19 November. Mohammed Shami was left out of all three squads, and the selectors have given no official reason. Former India batter Mohammad Kaif said on 19 October: “I believe there should be transparency. Come forward and tell us what the reason is.”
The match will be shown on the Sony Sports Network and streamed on SonyLIV.