Injury Scare For New Zealand: Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson Set For Scans

New Zealand's Matt Henry (R) in action© X (Formerly Twitter)

New Zealand pacers Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson will undergo scans on Tuesday to determine the extent of their injuries, head coach Rob Walter said as the team arrived ahead of the third T20I against India, which will be played on Tuesday. Henry has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series and will stay back in Christchurch before linking up with the ODI squad in Auckland on November 2, two days before the first ODI. The pacer bowled just two overs in Saturday's match before walking off with what skipper Mitchell Santner described as a "tight calf". Ferguson, who also left the field as a precautionary measure, will miss the third T20I in Wellington. He is expected to return for the final two matches in Auckland and Hamilton.

"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," Walter said in a video shared by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Sunday.

He further explained that New Zealand had planned to rotate their fast bowlers throughout the series from the outset, both to manage workloads and prepare some of them for the subsequent five-match ODI series and two-match Test series.

Under the rotation policy, Adam Milne missed the previous match, while Kyle Jamieson will play the third T20I and remain in Wellington to represent Canterbury in a Ford Trophy fixture at the Basin Reserve. Blair Tickner will join the squad for the final three matches, while Josh Clarkson will link up for the last two games. Matt Fisher has been added as cover for the Wellington T20I.

"Right from the outset, we've said that we're going to use a number of different fast-bowling options. That is to manage workloads and allow some bowlers to get ready for the longer formats of the game that are coming up. Sometimes playing back-to-back T20 games is not the way to do that.

"We've left Matt Henry at home. Lockie Ferguson is set to miss a game. Adam Milne missed the last game. We're trying to work through our fast-bowling rotations. Blair Tickner and Matt Fisher will be joining.

"As we try to move through the process, it's not a perfect science, but we're doing our very best to give everyone a chance to get ready while also ensuring they can put their best foot forward when they run onto the park. Hopefully it's going to work out for us," Walter added.

Walter also reserved special praise for Santner, whose four-wicket haul in the previous match nearly carried New Zealand to victory on a surface that offered little turn.

"If I start with the bowling, I think sometimes it's underappreciated just how skilful he is. Last night was a great demonstration of his full repertoire of skills. It wasn't a pitch that was turning a lot. There was a little bit of bounce on offer.

"But just the way he moved the ball around the crease and varied his pace. If you really appreciate the art of spin bowling, it was a remarkable display.

"He really swung the game in our favour, to be honest. It was a pity we couldn't get over the line, because a performance like that deserves a win. But that's not how the game works."

Asked about Santner's leadership, Walter said: "It's his calmness, as always. Just calmness in those situations. It's great to be able to lean on him as a calm head, even when there's a lot going on. The players have huge respect for his leadership and the way he leads the team."

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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