Bracewell to be monitored during T20I series: Walter

New Zealand coach Rob Walter said all-rounder Michael Bracewell’s participation in the five-match T20I series against India is dependent on his recovery from a minor left-calf strain that he sustained during the recent third ODI at Indore.

New Zealand defeated India by 41 runs to seal a historic 2-1 ODI series win at the Holkar Stadium, but Bracewell did not bowl after suffering a calf niggle while fielding. “Bracewell will be treated and monitored over the coming days before a decision on his further involvement in the tour is confirmed,” said Walter in a release issued by New Zealand Cricket.

“It was incredibly special to win the ODI series and create some history. There were lots of special performances combined with fantastic teamwork to achieve something that hadn’t been done before.”

Walter said Bracewell will remain with the squad, but the players needed to recover quickly ahead of the T20 series, beginning on Wednesday at Nagpur. “Michael has travelled with the squad to Nagpur. But with a short turnaround to the T20 series, we’ll need to recover well and refocus quickly to be ready for the opening game,” he added.

The 50-year-old also confirmed that pacer Kristian Clarke will remain with the touring party after being added to the T20 squad for the first three games against India.  “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.

Walter said Clarke’s inclusion was primarily aimed at boosting pace bowling options.  “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.”

Clarke played an excellent role in his maiden ODI series, claiming seven wickets, including twice dismissing Virat Kohli across the three games. He also added useful runs while batting lower-order and snared two catches. “He certainly showcased his talent in the ODI series, but what was particularly impressive was his calmness and ability to perform under pressure,” said Walter. New Zealand coach Rob Walter