Jacob Duffy Returns as New Zealand Name 14-Man Test Squad for India Series
Tom Latham will lead a 14-player New Zealand squad in the two home Tests against India. Compared with the side that toured England, Jacob Duffy comes in and Ben Sears, Zak Foulkes and Will O'Rourke are absent.
By John · 12 Nov 2026 · 2 min read
New Zealand Cricket has named a 14-player squad, captained by Tom Latham, for the two-Test home series against India. The first Test starts at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on 19 November, and the second begins at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on 27 November.
Earlier this year New Zealand won a three-Test series in England, handing England their first home defeat in a series of three or more Tests in 14 years. Compared with the side that made that tour, Jacob Duffy comes in. Ben Sears (ankle injury) and Zak Foulkes (hip injury) are absent, and Will O’Rourke is on a return-to-play programme after calf and hamstring problems.
Duffy missed the England tour to be at home for the birth of his first child. In his most recent Test series, against West Indies at the end of 2025, he took 23 wickets, including three five-wicket hauls, and was named player of the series as New Zealand won 2-0.
Three named while still recovering
Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway and Tom Blundell are in the squad while still working back from injury, and all three are aiming to be fit for the first Test. Ravindra hurt his shoulder during a commercial shoot and missed the ODI series against India. Conway is coming back from concussion, and Blundell from a quadriceps injury.
Head coach Rob Walter said the series marks the start of “an exciting summer of Test cricket” and pointed out that New Zealand have ten Tests scheduled before March. He said the squad is “largely consistent” with the side that played in England. The Test series is also the first assignment for BJ Watling as batting coach. He replaces Luke Ronchi and starts on 16 November.
The two Tests count towards the 2025-27 World Test Championship. When the teams last met in Tests, in India in 2024, New Zealand won the series 3-0.
New Zealand Test squad
- Tom Latham (captain)
- Tom Blundell (wicketkeeper)
- Devon Conway
- Jacob Duffy
- Matt Henry
- Kyle Jamieson
- Daryl Mitchell
- Henry Nicholls
- Glenn Phillips
- Rachin Ravindra
- Mitchell Santner
- Nathan Smith
- Blair Tickner
- Will Young