New Zealand has included Christian Clarke in its T20 squad for the first three matches of the upcoming five-match series against Team India. The Black Caps team management will continue to closely monitor the fitness of Michael Bracewell and Adam Milne ahead of the start of the series starting on January 21.
Clarke took seven wickets in three matches and dismissed Virat Kohli twice in his debut series. He also scored useful runs down the order and took two catches in the field. New Zealand fielded an inexperienced team and lost the first ODI to India but won the series by a 2–1 margin.
New Zealand includes Christian Clarke in T20 squad for the first three matches against India
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said that Christian Clarke was included primarily as cover to help manage the fast bowling group. Walter said the team wanted ample pace options for the first three games. He also said that Clarke handled the pressure well and showed maturity in the ODI series.
“We have a good shake-up of players at the moment, with some returning from injury for this series, others joining us immediately from franchise cricket and others coming from the India ODI series and the Super Smash,” Walter said.
“We want to make sure we have enough fast-bowling options for the first three games of this series and this is a great opportunity for Christian to stick with the group for a short period of time on his first tour to India.”
“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 head coach provides injury updates to Michael Bracewell and Adam Milne
Rob Walter confirmed that Michael Bracewell traveled to Nagpur with the T20I squad. Bracewell suffered a minor strain in his left calf while fielding in the third and final ODI in Indore on Sunday.
The team will treat the injury and keep a close eye on Bracewell over the next few days. The decision on his role for the rest of the tour will be taken after that.
Walter also shared an update on Adam Milne. The fast bowler injured his left hamstring while bowling for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 on Sunday. Milne is currently undergoing assessment and the New Zealand team management will decide how to manage his injury.
Winning the ODI series was incredibly special – Rob Walter
Walter said that after winning the ODI series in Indore, the team reached Nagpur with a positive mindset. The head coach described the series win as special. He said with less time between formats, the focus is now on recovery and increasingly focusing on the T20I series.
He said, “Winning the ODI series and making some history was incredibly special. It took a lot of special performances with great teamwork to achieve something that hadn’t been done before.”
“With little changes to the T20 series we know we will need to recover well and focus quickly so we can be ready for the opening game on Wednesday night.”
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