New Zealand lose Matt Henry and will be without Lockie Ferguson for Wellington T20I vs India

New Zealand were hit by a double setback ahead of the third T20I against India in Wellington on Tuesday, October 27, with Matt Henry ruled out of the remainder of the five-match series and Lockie Ferguson set to miss the must-win match through a niggle and workload management.

Trailing 0-2 in the series after consecutive four-wicket defeats in Christchurch, New Zealand conceded 225/4 in the opener on October 22 before India chased the target with two balls to spare, and scored 180/5 in the second T20I on October 24 as India won by four wickets with one ball remaining.

Ferguson will travel to Auckland on Sunday and rejoin the squad for the fourth and fifth T20Is, while Henry will remain in Christchurch before linking up with New Zealand's ODI squad in Auckland on November 2.

Henry bowled just two overs in the second T20I, and Ferguson left the field as a precautionary measure during that match.

"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," head coach Rob Walter said in a video shared by New Zealand Cricket (NZC).

"It's been a competitive start to the T20 series with two close games and plenty more cricket to come," Walter said. "We're very fortunate with the depth in the squad to be able to call upon different players to help manage our pacers' workloads and to try and ensure they're best placed to perform for the team for all the cricket coming up," he added.

Blair Tickner will join the squad for the final three T20Is and Josh Clarkson will link up with the team in Auckland for the last two matches; Matt Fisher will travel to Wellington as cover for the third T20I before returning to the New Zealand A squad at Lincoln University on Wednesday. Kyle Jamieson will remain in Wellington after Tuesday's match and represent Canterbury in the second round of the Ford Trophy at the Basin Reserve on October 31 before rejoining the national team for the ODI series.

New Zealand will need a strong all-round performance in Wellington to prevent India from sealing the series with two matches to spare; the fourth T20I is scheduled for Eden Park in Auckland on October 30 and the fifth in Hamilton on November 1.