Michael Bracewell along with captain Mitchell Santner will look to keep Indian batters in check in the third T20I at Wellington on Tuesday.
Published: October 26, 2026, 2:16 PM IST
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New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell(Source: X)
India vs New Zealand 2026: Shreyas Iyer’s Team India have held the upper-hand in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand so farTwo matches and two wins by four wickets have put the visitors in driving seat to clinch the series with a win in the third T20I at Wellington on Tuesday.
New Zealand all-rounder and off-spinner Michael Bracewell believes India’s firepower at the top of the batting order led by Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have given them an edge in the T20I series so farChasing 226 to win, Samson and Abhishek Sharma put on 93 runs for the first wicket to put the visitors in the driver’s seat.
“We spoke about as a batting group, and I’m sure the bowlers did the same, just about doing what we do really well just for a touch longerAs I said, we’ve been in the game for long periods of the game, even on top at times as well,” Bracewell said in the pre-match press conference in Wellington on Monday.
“I think they’ve got off to pretty hot starts in the power-playIt’s definitely something they look to target as a team,” Bracewell added.
No room for errorNo margin for slip-ups.
It’s a do-or-die for the Kiwis!
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Black Caps captain Mitchell Santner has managed to keep things under check in the middle overs and Bracewell claimed the home team would look to build on this strategy“So, to be able to slow them down in the middle has been hugely beneficialMitch has done that for years and years now, so it’s always great to see him bowling so well and containing them.
“The other night, taking four wickets as well was huge to get us into that game and put us right on top in that period So, as I say, there’s been a lot of positives to take from the first two matches, and we’re really looking forward to tomorrow night and another opportunity to take on a world-class side,” Bracewell added.
New Zealand can turn the deficit around: Michael Bracewell
Bracewell believes despite the 2-0 deficit, his team is still in with a chance to turn it around“It’s T20 cricket, and we’re used to those fine margins, and it’s great to have such a close seriesObviously, we would have liked to be 1-1 or even 2-0 up, but, yeah, that’s the way it goes.
“We’re just going to keep backing ourselves to keep executing our skills, and, yeah, the tide will turn at some point,” he added.
‘Indian bowling have put us under pressure at the death’
Team India bowlers have conceded 225 and 180 runs in the first two T20I games – bowling first in both the matchesBut Bracewell believes that the visitors bowling attack have built up pressure in the death overs after conceding only 26 and 23 runs respectively in the last two overs of the first two T20I matches.
“Yeah, look, I think they put us under pressure, particularly at the death with the ballThey’ve been two reasonably high-scoring games, so it certainly hasn’t been a train smashSo it’s just about being clinical in those key moments, and India have been, and I guess we’d like to have a couple of those situations back and try something, a little bit different,” Bracewell said on the eve of the third T20I.
“I think it’s just about controlling the things that we do really wellIt’s just getting a complete performance together,” he said.
