India will tour New Zealand for five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests, starting October 22.
Former New Zealand speedster Tim Southee, who is now the bowling coach of the England Test team, shared some of his thoughts on the upcoming India tour of New Zealand and talked about the Indian pace bowlers.
India is set to play five T20Is, five ODIs, and two Tests in New Zealand, and it will be a battle between the Indian pacers and New Zealand's pace attack.
On Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s recall to the Indian T20I squad, Southee said, "He'll be thrilled to have another opportunity, which he probably didn’t think was going to come. He’s a very skilful and experienced bowler. And Bhuvneshwar probably knows his game better than he ever has. He’s still bowling extremely well in the best franchise competition in the world, the IPL… he’ll have a big impact.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who played his last game for India in 2022 in New Zealand, was recalled to the T20I squad on the back of two brilliant seasons in the Indian Premier League, where his 45 wickets in IPL 2025 and 2026 helped RCB win back-to-back titles.
Southee also talked about Jasprit Bumrah, who will only play the two Tests, and pointed out that Bumrah hasn’t yet played for an Indian side that has defeated New Zealand in Tests.
India has lost all five Tests Bumrah has played in against New Zealand, where he has taken 9 wickets at an average of 45.44 and a strike rate of 92.8.
“New Zealand has played Bumrah incredibly well in Test cricket. I don’t think Bumrah has played in an Indian team that’s beaten New Zealand. I’m a big fan of Mohammed Siraj and the way he bowls. He could be a handful if he can get his length right. There’s a lot to like about Siraj in particular. There’s no reason why the other bowlers in and around Bumrah won’t be able to trouble the New Zealand batters,” Southee said during a virtual interaction arranged by Sony Sports Network on Thursday.
On the challenges facing India’s top-order in early-season Kiwi conditions, Southee said: “When you’re playing in India, arguably the easiest time to bat is with the new ball before it starts to turn. In New Zealand, it’s almost the other way around... the hardest time to bat is with the new ball.”
The 37-year-old also gave his prediction for the two-test series.
“There will be a bit of weather around... I’ll go 1-0 to New Zealand,” Southee concluded.
The first Test will be played in Wellington from November 19, and the second Test will be played in Christchurch from November 27.