The India vs New Zealand cricket timeline has given many interesting matchups internationally. This rivalry may not be historically intense as the India vs Pakistan match, but it gave so many memorable matches, shocking up-downs, and tremendous individual performances of the players.
Let us take a look at the timeline of cricket battles between India and New Zealand across the time.
Early Encounters: 1955–1976
- In 1955–56: Both teams India and New Zealand clashed for the first time in a Test series in India. Indian players gave a great performance in the 5-match series and won by 2–0 score. This was the start of a long-lasting bilateral relationship between the two countries.
- In 1967–68: India came to New Zealand for the very first time and won by 3–1 score in a Test series match.
1980s–1990s: Evenly Matched Contests
- 1988–89: New Zealand came to India then the Test series ended by 2–1 score in the favour of India.
- 1994: New Zealand came to India and played some gripping ODIs. The two teams were well-matched, with the game or cricket often going down to the wire.
- 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup: In a group stage match, New Zealand won, although both teams scored to the Super Sixes.
2000s: Rise of India, Resilient Kiwis
- 2002–03: India went to New Zealand but struggled a lot there in the match. Lost both Test and ODI series there. This series showed that India still has a lot of problems in taking wickets.
- 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup: New Zealand won by India in a group match that resulted in India going to the semi-finals.
- 2008–09: India visited New Zealand and won the test series by 1–0 score and the ODI series by 3–1 score. I
2010s: World Cup Clashes and Bilateral Thrillers
- 2014: New Zealand won the ODI series by 4–0 score at their native place, England. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor gave wonderful performances in the match.
- 2016: New Zealand visited Test and ODI matches. India won the Test matches by 3–0 score and ODI series by 3–2 score.
- 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in Semifinals: It was one of the great moments in the history of cricket. The semi finals played in Manchester were cancelled for two days due to heavy rain. New Zealand entered the final by defeating India in a thrilling finish, almost one billion Indian fans were disheartened then.
2020s: ICC Showdowns and New Battles
- 2020: India came to New Zealand for ODI and test match. They lost the ODI 3–0 score and lost 2–0 in the Test series. But in the T20I series, India made a historic move by winning 5–0 and 5-match T20I series for the first ever time.
- 2021 ICC World Test Championship Finals: In Southampton was quite affected by rain in finals, but there New Zealand defeated India and became the first World Test Championship champions. Player Kyle Jamieson showed great bowling skills and Williamson’s calm and solid innings ended the match.
- 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup League and Semifinals: India won from New Zealand in the group stage and then in the semifinals also. Virat Kohli created history by scoring 117 runs in the semifinal. Mohammed Shami’s 7-wicket haul became very famous.
Head to head Records
The head to head records for both the teams are:
India vs New Zealand – Test Matches Summary
| Test match categories | Numbers |
| Total Matches Played | 65 |
| India Wins | 22 |
| New Zealand Wins | 14 |
| Drawn Matches | 29 |
India vs New Zealand – ODI Matches Summary
| Test match categories | Numbers |
| Total Matches Played | 117 |
| India Wins | 59 |
| New Zealand Wins | 50 |
| Drawn Mates or no results/ tied | 8 |
India vs New Zealand – T20I Matches Summary
| Test match categories | Numbers |
| Total Matches Played | 26 |
| India Wins | 14 |
| New Zealand Wins | 10 |
| Drawn Matches | 2 |
Key Players Over the Years
- India: In India Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Shami were the key players.
- New Zealand: In New Zealand Richard Hadlee, Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, and Tim Southee were the key players of the matches.
Conclusion
The rivalry between India vs New Zealand has become bigger and more impactful over the time. It was once limited to just a couple of both places tours which has now become a rivalry with high stakes, and spread in the world specially after the recent ICC knockout matches. Both teams have tremendous players and a strong culture of cricketing. This rivalry is going to get even more amazing in the upcoming years.
The rivalry between India vs New Zealand has grown and become more impactful over the years or time. Earlier it was limited to a few tours from both the sides and there was some cricket played in both the countries India and New Zealand. But now it has become a high stakes rivalry between both of them which is shown by all over the world, specially after the ICC knockout matches recently. Both teams have tremendous players and a strong cricket culture. That is why this rivalry is going to become even more amazing and dangerous in the upcoming years.
FAQs – India vs New Zealand Cricket Timeline
Q. When did India and New Zealand play their first match with each other in Test cricket?
India vs New Zealand first Test match was held in 1955–56 in India. This series was won by the Indian team by 2–0.
Q. How did India perform in the 2019 World Cup semi final against the New Zealand team?
In the 2019 semi finals of ICC Cricket World Cup, New Zealand defeated India in a low-scoring thriller spread over two days due to heavy rain. New Zealand scored 240 runs and won the match by18 runs.
Q. Who won the inaugural World Test Championship final in 2021?
In 2021, New Zealand won from India in the final of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship. In Southampton, New Zealand won by 8 wickets and became the first-ever Test champions.
Q. What is India’s biggest T20I win against New Zealand?
In 2020 India won the T20I series with 5–0. This was the first-ever win in a 5-match T20I series.
Q. Who are the top performers of India vs New Zealand World Cup matches?
For India, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Mohammed Shami gave their performances.
For New Zealand, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, and Trent Boult have consistently troubled India in World Cup matches.
