When the squads were announced for the ODI leg of New Zealand’s tour of India, it seemed a foregone conclusion. The Kiwis were resting most of their key players for the T20I series and the following World Cup on these shores. India did do a bit of the same, leaving out Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. But with the batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma back in the runs and ready for another showing, coupled with the added boost of skipper Shubman Gill’s return, India looked vastly superior in all elements.
That the Kiwis arrive in Indore at 1-1 with a chance to win an ODI series for the first time in 11 attempts – with a second-string squad that contains eight players who have never even visited India – speaks to some typical Kiwi traits. They are making the best of their available talent, focusing on player development despite limited resources compared to their opponents, and craftily turning journeymen into match-winners.
The surprise at the competitiveness fell out of Mohammed Siraj’s mouth when speaking ahead of the third ODI. “The atmosphere is very good. We are getting a lot of input from the seniors. It feels like a high-pressure situation, almost like a World Cup final. Such situations are very rare in India, so it is a great opportunity for us,” he told media on Saturday.
Sly patronising aside, there is genuine credit to be given to New Zealand’s competitiveness. They gave Jayden Lennox, the 31-year-old left-arm finger spinner, a debut in Rajkot and his tight middle-overs spell effectively ensured India would not post a 300+ score. In the same game, Kristian Clarke, the 24-year-old quick who’s useful with the bat, in his debut series, broke through India’s top order with three big wickets – Rohit, Kohli, Shreyas Iyer – in a spell that had match-winning quality. In the first game in Vadodara, 23-year-old Zak Foulkes, in just his third ODI, put together the kind of tight new-ball spell that was key to making the chase tough for India at the end.
New Zealand’s captain Michael Bracewell, left, with teammate Glenn Phillips during a practice session ahead of the third ODI cricket match of the series between India and New Zealand, at Holkar Cricket Stadium, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (PTI Photo)
New Zealand have only recently breached one barrier. Not only did their Test team win a first series in India in 2024, but also became the only team to whitewash them at home in a three-match series. That was also an unheralded team not given much of a chance, missing their batting star Kane Williamson and led by the opener Tom Latham. Doing the same here in the ODI format is arguably even more creditable, given how many new faces they are fielding.
Allrounder Glenn Phillips, who was part of the history-making Test team, played down the prospect of making history with all the usual professional-speak about staying in the moment and treating every match the same. But he had to admit it had been in the players’ minds. “The inspiration that comes from (the Test series win) is the fact that doing things that haven’t been done before are possible,” he said on Saturday. “Making history is pretty cool, and the opportunities do it are very few and far between.”
Sunday’s game remains a big hurdle given that a batting-friendly surface is expected against a motivated Indian team that will be determined to avoid another home humiliation. But greater obstacles have been overcome by this generation of New Zealanders who have made a habit of punching above their weight.
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