Ferguson and Henry ruled out for remainder of T20I series against India
Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry were ruled out of the remainder of New Zealand’s five-match T20I series against India ahead of Friday’s fourth match at a sold-out Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand Cricket said. India already hold an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
Ferguson sustained a low-grade tear in his right calf during the second T20I in Christchurch, while Henry suffered a similar injury to his right quadricep, New Zealand Cricket reported. The board estimated Ferguson would need around another week to recover and Henry would face one to two weeks on the sidelines. Head coach Rob Walter said, "We’re gutted for Lockie and Matt," and added, "Injuries are part and parcel of international cricket, but it doesn’t make it any easier when you have to miss games."
Matt Fisher has been called up to replace Ferguson in the squad. New Zealand will hope both injured pacers recover in time for the ODI series, which begins on November 4. Ferguson had been eager to play in front of the Eden Park crowd but is determined to return for the 50-over series.
India chased targets of 226, 181 and 199 in the first three T20Is, winning by four wickets, four wickets and six wickets respectively. Sanju Samson struck 67 off 33 balls in the opening match and Tilak Varma was unbeaten on 51 off 26 in the second. Abhishek Sharma produced 113 off 38 balls as India chased 199 in only 13.2 overs.
New Zealand’s bowlers have struggled to contain the Indian attack. Ferguson conceded 34 runs in three overs in the first T20I and 37 in three overs in the second, while Henry gave away 57 runs in 3.4 overs in the opener. Mitchell Santner took 4/21 in the second match.
Fisher is the direct replacement for Ferguson, with Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner also available as pace options. New Zealand said the final combination will depend on team balance. Walter added that Henry had already been scheduled to sit out the remaining T20Is as part of workload management and expressed hope the pacer would play a key role in the ODIs.
Kyle Jamieson is scheduled to remain in Wellington for Canterbury’s Ford Trophy match before rejoining the national side for the ODI series. The fourth T20I at Eden Park is set for Friday, with India leading the series 3-0, and the teams will meet in the ODI series beginning on November 4.
