Sodhi, Tickner called up amidst illness concerns for NZ

WELLINGTON: With Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner and Scott Kuggeleijn all struggling with illness, and captain Kane Williamson needing to pass a fitness test following an injury to his left shoulder, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Monday announced that Ish Sodhi and Blair Tickner had been called up to the squad for the third ODI against India to be played on Tuesday (today).

Both Sodhi and Tickner had been playing for New Zealand A in a four-day fixture against India A, but were withdrawn from the squad ahead of the final day’s play and replaced by Benjamin Lister and Michael Rae.

Sodhi had played in the first ODI against India, picking up the crucial wicket of Virat Kohli with a well-disguised googly. But his four overs went for 27 runs and he was dropped for the second game of the series.

Tickner, meanwhile, played the first two T20Is between the sides, but conceded 68 runs from six overs across the two games, though he also picked up the wicket of Kohli, during the first of the two fixtures. He is yet to make his ODI debut.

The ‘A’ fixture between New Zealand and India ended as a high-scoring draw, with Sodhi going wicketless in the 10 overs he bowled, while Tickner picked up a single wicket in his 14 overs though he also conceded 78 runs.

New Zealand hold an unassailabe 2-0 lead in the series going into the final fixture, after which the teams will move into a three-match Test series beginning on February 20 in Wellington.