Michael Bracewell is nursing what New Zealand Cricket have called “a minor left calf strain”, suffered late in the third ODI in Indore. The timing is awkward. New Zealand’s five-match T20I programme against India begins on Wednesday in Nagpur, and the all-rounder is now touch-and-go for game one – possibly longer – while medical staff monitor the injury. He has travelled with the T20 squad, but no final call has been made.
Bracewell had only just finished guiding the tourists to a 2-1 ODI series win, New Zealand’s first in India. He bowled his ten overs, moved the field smartly and, for a change, left the heavy lifting with the bat to others. The strain arrived near the finish and he walked gingerly through the presentation ceremony.
Fast-bowling all-rounder Kristian Clarke, fresh from an eye-catching debut series, has been drafted in for the first three T20Is as cover. Clarke collected seven wickets across the three ODIs – twice taking three-fors – and chipped in with tidy, lower-order runs. The 23-year-old from Northern Districts looked comfortable in the bustle of Indian crowds and, perhaps more tellingly, did not appear fazed by the flat pitches.
Head coach Rob Walter explained the switch-around. “We’ve got a fair bit of player movement at the moment with some guys returning from injury for this series, others joining us immediately from franchise cricket and the rest coming off the India ODI series and Super Smash,” he said. “We want to ensure we’ve got enough pace-bowling options for the first three games of this series and it’s a great opportunity for Kristian to stay on with the group a little longer on his first tour of India.”
Walter added: “He certainly showcased his talent in the ODI series, but what was particularly impressive was his calmness and ability to perform under pressure.”
New Zealand’s seam stable already includes Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes and the returning Kyle Jamieson. James Neesham provides batting depth and handy medium-pace. If Bracewell is ruled out, Mitchell Santner – named T20 captain for this trip – still has Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra to share the spin duties, with Ish Sodhi the senior leggie.
The tourists enjoyed only a brief breather after Sunday’s series-clinching victory. “It was incredibly special to win the ODI series and create some history,” Walter reflected. “There were lots of special performances combined with fantastic team work to achieve something that hadn’t been done before. With a short turnaround to the T20 series we know we’ll need to recover well and refocus quickly to be ready for the opening game on Wednesday night.”
New Zealand squad: Mitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ish Sodhi, Kristian Clarke (first three matches only).
