Photo by Michal Klajban (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Three games, three chases: how India built a 3-0 lead in New Zealand

India have won all three T20Is in New Zealand so far, and all three by chasing. The pattern is worth a closer look, because it says as much about New Zealand's bowling as about India's batting.

Match 1, Christchurch

New Zealand made 225 for 4, Glenn Phillips unbeaten on 82 from 40. India chased it down with two balls to spare and four wickets in hand.

Match 2, Christchurch

The closest of the three. New Zealand made 180 for 5, with Phillips (70 from 43) and Bevon Jacobs (58 from 46) sharing a 116-run stand. Mitchell Santner then took 4 for 21 and India were 112 for 6 chasing 181. Tilak Varma's unbeaten 51 from 26 and Nitish Kumar Reddy's 26 not out from 13 got them home by four wickets.

Match 3, Wellington

New Zealand posted 198 for 3, Daryl Mitchell 89 not out from 52. India needed 13.2 overs. Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi put on 133 for the first wicket, India were 118 without loss after the powerplay (a record for them, per previews), and Abhishek finished with 113 from 38 balls.

What the totals say

Totals of 225, 180 and 198 have not been enough. The New Zealand batting has done its job; what has been missing is a second and third bowler. Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson are out of the series with calf injuries, Santner has been the stand-out and, in the previews' words, has had little support at the other end.

India's own approach is clear from the numbers: Abhishek has 1,984 T20I runs at a strike rate of 200.6 since the start of 2025, and Sooryavanshi has 295 runs in 10 T20Is at 185.5, according to an IANS preview. One weakness the previews flag is spin: Santner has dismissed Sanju Samson four times in seven innings (Samson averages 8.5 against him), and Indian batters swept only 6.6% of balls against spin in 2026, the lowest rate in recent years.

India have won 10 of their last 11 T20Is against New Zealand and nine of their last 10 in New Zealand. The question for the last two games, at Eden Park on Friday and Seddon Park, Hamilton, on 1 November, is whether the home side can find bowling to match a batting line-up that has stopped trailing.

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