The New Zealand national cricket team toured India and played three Test matches and five Limited Overs Internationals (LOI) between September and November 1999.Tournament Fixtures
Background A revised itinerary for the tour was announced on 26 August 1999. It was reported that the New Zealand squad would arrive in Mumbai on 28 September. The squad would play a total of two first-class fixtures before the First Test, followed by another first-class match against Karnataka, the Ranji Trophy champions. It would be followed by two more Tests, and then by a five-match ODI series. The venues for the Tests were Mohali, Kanpur and Ahmedabad.
The New Zealand touring party arrived on 27 September. On his team's preparations for the tour, captain Stephen Fleming stated: "We just returned to New Zealand about 20 days back after a four-month-long tour of England." The manager of the squad and former player Jeff Crowe mentioned that the squad to together only a week prior and that they "could not practice outside due to weather conditions but had a short indoor camp at Christchurch before embarking on the tour." On this tour, he stated that it would be "... very tough in these [Indian] conditions". He added, "Our batting was not very good in England. But we have to bat very well against the Indian spinners, on slow turning tracks, who certainly could pose problems. I feel this New Zealand team is well organised and expected to deliver the goods." The tour would be the first assignment for newly appointed coach David Trist.
Going into the Test series, India had a formidable middle-order consisting of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, all of who averaged close to or over 50. This was the first such instance in Indian cricket history.
Squads TestsODIs Sachin Tendulkar (c) Vijay Bharadwaj Rahul Dravid Devang Gandhi Sourav Ganguly Ajay Jadeja Sunil Joshi Anil Kumble MSK Prasad wk Venkatesh Prasad Sadagoppan Ramesh Harbhajan Singh Javagal Srinath Stephen Fleming (c) Nathan Astle Matthew Bell Chris Cairns Chris Drum Chris Harris Matt Horne Craig McMillan Dion Nash Shayne O'Connor Adam Parore Andrew Penn Craig Spearman Gary Stead Daniel Vettori Paul Wiseman Sachin Tendulkar (c) Ajit Agarkar Vijay Bharadwaj Nikhil Chopra Rahul Dravid Devang Gandhi Sourav Ganguly Ajay Jadeja Sunil Joshi T. Kumaran Anil Kumble Debashish Mohanty Gyanendra Pandey MSK Prasad wk Venkatesh Prasad Robin Singh Javagal Srinath Stephen Fleming (c) Nathan Astle Chris Cairns Chris Drum Chris Harris Matt Horne Dion Nash Shayne O'Connor Adam Parore Craig Spearman Scott Styris Alex Tait Roger Twose Daniel Vettori
A 16-member New Zealand Test squad for the tour was announced on 31 August 1999. Craig Spearman was recalled to replace an out-of-form Roger Twose, and was touted to take the number three batting spot with captain Stephen Fleming expressing a desire to drop to number four. Off-spinner Paul Wiseman was picked as the second spinner for the tour in place of Brooke Walker, as Daniel Vettori's partner. Pacemen Chris Drum and Andrew Penn were added as replacements to the injured Simon Doull and Geoff Allott. The other change from the winning squad in England earlier that year was backup wicket-keeper, Martyn Croy, who was dropped. Chris Cairns, who was still recovering from tendinitis on his right knee, was included in the squad, with the selectors hoping he would recover fully on time. Following a finger injury Craig McMillan sustained during the Second Test, Gary Stead was named as his replacement for the Third.
The India squad was announced on 6 October. The 14-member squad squad excluded Mohammad Azharuddin, Nayan Mongia and Nikhil Chopra. Azharuddin was said to have been not fully fit following a shoulder surgery after the World Cup earlier that year. Wicket-keeper batsman Mongia was edged out by MSK Prasad thanks to the latter's better contribution with the bat potentially. Spinners Sunil Joshi and Harbhajan Singh were added to the squad, alongside batter Devang Gandhi. The latter was touted as an opening partner to Sadagoppan Ramesh.
For the ODI series, India's squad was announced on 30 October. Nikhil Chopra and Robin Singh were included as replacements to Harbhajan Singh and Devang Gandhi. The selectors stated that Azharuddin was again not considered for selection, alongside Mongia and Agarkar. Pacemen Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, and spinner Anil Kumble were rested for the final three games, in view of India's Australia tour later that season. Gyanendra Pandey was added to the squad as Kumble's replacement. Ajit Agarkar and T. Kumaran, who made the squad for the Australia tour, were replaced the pace duo for the remaining games. However, with the series on the line going into the final ODI, Srinath was brought back in to replace an injured Ajay Jadeja.
New Zealand added Roger Twose and all-rounder Scott Styris to their ODI squad, the latter replacing a retired Gavin Larsen. Members of the Test team — Matthew Bell, Penn, Wiseman and an injured McMillan — were kept out.
Tour matches Three-day: New Zealanders v India A
Three-day: New Zealanders v Indian Board President's XI
Three-day: New Zealanders v Karnataka
Test series
1st Test
2nd Test
3rd Test
One Day Internationals (ODIs)
1st ODI
2nd ODI
3rd ODI
4th ODI
5th ODI
References