Wellington, Oct 25 (IANS) 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, to be played on Tuesday.
Henry has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series and will stay back in Christchurch before linking up with the ODI squad in Auckland on November 2, two days ahead of the first ODI. The pacer bowled just two overs in Saturday’s game before walking off with what skipper Mitchell Santner described as a ‘tight calf.’
Ferguson, who also left the field as a precautionary measure, will sit out 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 to rotate their fast bowlers through the series from the start, both to manage workloads and prepare some of them for the subsequent five-match ODI series and two-game Test series.
Under this, Adam Milne had missed the previous match, while Kyle Jamieson will play the third T20I and stay back in Wellington to play a Ford Trophy game for Canterbury at Basin Reserve. Blair Tickner will link up with the squad for the final three matches, while Josh Clarkson joins for the last two games, and Matt Fisher will join as a cover in 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, to 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, 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,” added Walter.
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 and lauded his variations in pace and usage 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 about his assessment of Santner, the captain, 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.”
–IANS
nr/vi
