New Zealand have lost Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra to injury for the five-match ODI series against India, which opens at Eden Park on Wednesday. Henry Nicholls is recalled for the first three games, Dean Foxcroft is added for the last two and Tim Seifert now plays throughout.
Auckland, New Zealand: The squad gathered in Auckland on Monday with two of its more experienced white-ball names missing. New Zealand Cricket confirmed that Chapman and Ravindra will play no part in the series, and head coach Rob Walter did not hide the disappointment. “Everyone knows what an asset Mark and Rachin are to this side so it’s a shame they have to miss this series,” he said.
Two injuries, two timelines
Chapman is dealing with a left hamstring problem. A recent MRI showed he needs about two more weeks of rehabilitation, which rules him out of all five matches. Ravindra’s issue is a right shoulder injury picked up in September while diving for a catch during a promotional shoot. It has not healed enough for him to field at full intensity, and the diving that ODI cricket demands is exactly the risk New Zealand want to avoid.
The caution is tied to what follows. With the Test series due later this month, the selectors do not want to expose Ravindra to unnecessary danger, and Walter has indicated the aim is to have him right for that block rather than rushed into the one-day games.
Who steps in
Nicholls returns for the opening three ODIs after a 119 for Canterbury in the Ford Trophy. Foxcroft joins for the final two, and he is already in the middle of a big week: he is playing for New Zealand A against India A in Christchurch. Seifert, originally named only for the last two games, is now in the squad for the whole series, while Matt Fisher stays with the group as an extra bowling option.
There is a fitness question over Matt Henry too. The seamer was ruled out midway through the T20I series and has rejoined the squad, but he will be assessed before New Zealand know whether he is available at Eden Park. Mitchell Santner captains both ODI groups.
A series with changes on both sides
India arrive having won the T20I series 3-2, even though New Zealand took the last two matches, with Seifert hitting 93 in the Hamilton finale. They have their own selection issue, having already lost Prasidh Krishna to a hamstring injury before the ODIs begin.
For New Zealand, Nicholls’ experience and Seifert’s availability across all five games are the obvious answers to the gaps. The first test of the rebuilt side comes on Wednesday in Auckland.
