Henry ruled out of T20I series, Ferguson to miss third match against India

New Zealand pacers Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson will undergo scans on Tuesday to assess their injuries ahead of the India T20I series. Henry has been ruled out of the remaining matches, while Ferguson will miss the third T20I

Wellington: New Zealand pacers Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson will undergo scans on Tuesday to determine the extent of their injuries, head coach Rob Walter said as the team arrived here ahead of the third T20I against India, scheduled for Tuesday.

Henry has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series and will stay back in Christchurch before joining the ODI squad in Auckland on November 2, two days before the first ODI. The pacer bowled just two overs in Saturday’s match before walking off with what skipper Mitchell Santner described as a “tight calf”.

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Ferguson, who also left the field as a precaution, will miss the third T20I in Wellington. He is expected to return to the squad for the final two matches in Auckland and Hamilton.

“Those two are being assessed. They’ll go for some scans on Tuesday after the public holiday. We’ll have some more information as to where things stand. Obviously, like always, we’re just hoping for the best. That’ll allow for the quickest turnaround,” Walter said in a video shared by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Sunday.

He further explained that New Zealand had planned from the outset to rotate their fast bowlers throughout the series, both to manage workloads and to prepare some of them for the subsequent five-match ODI series and two-Test series.

As part of this plan, Adam Milne missed the previous match, while Kyle Jamieson will play the third T20I before staying back in Wellington to feature in a Ford Trophy match for Canterbury at Basin Reserve. Blair Tickner will join the squad for the final three matches, while Josh Clarkson will come in for the last two games. Matt Fisher will join the squad as cover for the Wellington T20I.

“Right from the outset, we’ve said that we’re going to use a number of different fast-bowling options. That is to manage workloads and allow some bowlers to get ready for the longer formats of the game that are coming up. Sometimes, playing back-to-back T20 games is not the way to do that.

“We’ve left Matt Henry at home. Lockie Ferguson is set to miss a game. Adam Milne missed the last game. We’re trying to really work through our rotations of fast bowlers. Blair Tickner and Matt Fisher will be joining.

“As we try to move our way through the process, it’s not a perfect science, but we’re doing our very best to give everyone a chance to get ready. But also put their best foot forward when they do run onto the park. Hopefully, it’s going to work out for us,” Walter added.

He also reserved special praise for skipper Mitchell Santner, whose four-wicket haul in the previous game nearly carried New Zealand to victory on a surface that offered little turn. Walter lauded Santner’s variations in pace and use of the crease.

“If I start with the bowling, I think sometimes it’s unappreciated just how skilful he is. Last night was a great demonstration of his full repertoire of skill-set. It wasn’t a pitch that was turning a hell of a lot. There was a little bit of bounce on offer.

“But just the way that he moved the ball around the crease and moved the bat around the crease and played with his pace. If you’re really appreciative of the art, it was a hell of a display.

“He really swung the game in our favour, to be honest. It was a pity we couldn’t get over the line, because a performance like that deserves a win, I guess. But that’s not how the game works.”

Asked to assess Santner’s leadership, Walter said, “From a leadership point of view, it’s just calmness, as always. Just calmness in those situations. It’s great to be able to lean on him as a calm head, even when there’s a lot going on. The players are hugely respectful of his leadership and the way he leads the team.”