New Zealand lose Ferguson and Henry to low-grade tears before the Eden Park T20I

New Zealand will finish the T20I series against India without Lockie Ferguson or Matt Henry, both ruled out by low-grade tears picked up in the second match in Christchurch

New Zealand Cricket confirmed on Thursday that Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the remainder of the T20I series against India after scans found a low-grade tear in his right calf.

Ferguson felt the injury during the second T20I at Hagley Oval, the match New Zealand lost by four wickets with one ball remaining. Matthew Fisher, who had joined the squad in Wellington as bowling cover, replaces him for the last two matches.

The same match cost the hosts a second seamer. Matt Henry was assessed after pain in his right quadricep, and scans showed a low-grade tear of his own.

A week or so for Ferguson

New Zealand Cricket said Ferguson is expected to need another week or so of recovery before returning to play, which rules him out of the fourth T20I at Eden Park on Friday and the series finale at Seddon Park on 1 November.

"I know Lockie was fizzing to play in front of a sell-out home crowd at Eden Park tomorrow, but he's determined to be back for the ODIs," head coach Rob Walter said.

The first of the five ODIs is at Eden Park on 4 November, and Walter said he was optimistic that both bowlers would be involved in that series.

Henry's quad is the lesser blow

Henry's tear needs one to two weeks of recovery, but it costs New Zealand less than it first appears: he had already been set to sit out the rest of the T20Is under planned workload management, and he remains on track for the ODI series.

"We're gutted for Lockie and Matt," Walter said. "Injuries are part and parcel of international cricket but it doesn't make it any easier when you have to miss games."

"Fortunately for Matt he was already going to sit out on the rest of the T20Is with an eye to his big summer schedule, and we're hopeful he'll still play a key role in the ODIs," the coach added.

Fisher stays on, Randell steps up

Matthew Fisher had been called into the T20I squad in Wellington as bowling cover for the third match. He now stays with the senior side for the rest of the series as Ferguson's replacement.

That promotion left a gap one rung down, and Brett Randell of the Central Stags has been called into the New Zealand A squad for the second match against India A in Fisher's place.

Kyle Jamieson, also on planned workload management, remains in Wellington and is available for Canterbury's second round of the Ford Trophy on Saturday before rejoining the squad on Monday for the ODIs.

India have chased down everything

The series is already decided. India lead it 3-0, having won by four wickets at Hagley Oval, by four wickets with a ball to spare at the same ground, and by six wickets at Sky Stadium on 27 October.

The third T20I was the most emphatic of them, Abhishek Sharma striking 113 from 38 balls and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi adding 45 from 19 as India hunted down the target.

India have batted second in all three matches, so their own bowling attack has yet to be asked to defend a total in this series.

What New Zealand have left

Without Ferguson and Henry, New Zealand go to Eden Park with a thinner pace group and with Jamieson not due to rejoin the squad until Monday.

Fisher, brought in as cover for the third match, is now Ferguson's named replacement for the rest of the series.

Both of the injured seamers are expected back for the ODIs, the longer half of the tour at five matches, the last two of them at Bay Oval in the middle of November.

New Zealand and India meet in the fourth T20I at Eden Park on Friday, with the fifth at Seddon Park on 1 November before the five-match ODI series begins in Auckland on 4 November.

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