A century of sporting ties: How cricket transformed NZ and India into more than rivals
In 2026, New Zealand and India celebrate a century of sporting ties. In the second of this four-part series, Stephen Hewson looks at the history of cricket, the sport that has become a defining pillar in the India-New Zealand relationship. This series accompanies the Century of Sporting Ties research report, which is available to download at the bottom of this page.
You can download the Foundation's report, A Century of Sporting Ties, at the bottom of this page
When New Zealand and India first met on a sporting field in 1926, it was hockey – not cricket – that brought them together. Yet a century on, it’s cricket that has come to define the relationship.
What began as a distant, formal contest between two countries on opposite sides of the world has evolved into something far deeper – a connection shaped not just by matches and milestones, but by people, migration and shared identity. Over the past 100 years, cricket has mirrored the changing relationship between the two nations, moving from imperial-era encounters to something more personal, more intertwined and increasingly shared.
Cricket became part of the relationship in 1955. Two years after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stood atop Everest, the New Zealand men’s team toured India for the first time. The opening Test in Hyderabad ended in a draw before India secured the five-match series 2–0.
For New Zealand, the results were secondary to the experience. Touring India meant confronting unfamiliar pitches, oppressive heat and vast, passionate crowds. It was a world away from the quieter, more modest cricket grounds of Christchurch or Wellington.
One of New Zealand's finest batsmen, Bert Sutcliffe played test cricket for New Zealand from 1947 to 1965, scoring a double century against India in Delhi in 1955 (Wiki Commons; National Library)
There were, however, early moments of defiance. Bert Sutcliffe’s unbeaten 230 in Delhi – just the second double century by a New Zealander – stood as a defining innings of that tour. It was a reminder that while India held the advantage at home, New Zealand possessed the resilience and skill to compete.
Through the 1960s, the relationship deepened as tours became more frequent, and familiarity grew. In 1965, New Zealand returned to India and produced one of the most remarkable individual debuts in Test cricket history.
In Kolkata, Bruce Taylor scored 105 and took five wickets for 86 in the same match – a feat that remains unmatched. It was a performance that captured the resourcefulness of New Zealand cricket in an era when it was still establishing its place in the global game.
Three years later, India toured New Zealand for the first time. In Dunedin, the Indian team claimed its first-ever Test victory outside the subcontinent, a breakthrough moment that signalled its growing strength. New Zealand responded in Christchurch, recording its own first Test win over India, built on Graham Dowling’s 239 – then a national record.
Maia Lewis’ batting gloves, the signed ball used during the February 1968 game between India and New Zealand and the bat used by Luke Ronchi on the New Zealand tour of India in 2016 (Photos supplied: New Zealand Cricket Museum)
Neither side dominated the series, but something more important was taking shape: respect.
As former New Zealand spinner, Dipak Patel would later reflect, the two sides shared a common understanding. “I think they had a bond,” he said. “They weren’t seen as part of the top tier at that time.”
That sense of shared experience – of being just outside cricket’s traditional power centres – helped build a relationship.
In 1966, Narotam “Tom” Puna became the first player of Indian heritage to represent New Zealand at cricket. He arrived in New Zealand in 1937 and settled with his father in Hamilton. He made his first-class debut for Northern Districts in 1956 but would only step up to international cricket 10 years later when he was in his late-30s.
At the time, it was a quiet milestone. In hindsight, it marked the beginning of something much larger – cricket as a bridge between cultures. By the late 1970s and into the 1980s, both nations were beginning to assert themselves more confidently. The relationship between them continued to evolve, shaped by competition but also by familiarity.
New Zealand batter Trish McKelvey being run out during a test match against India at Carisbrook in Dunedin in 1977 (Photo supplied: New Zealand Cricket Museum)
Women’s cricket added its own chapter in 1977, when New Zealand and India met for the first time in Dunedin. Although all six Tests played between the two sides ended in draws, they were significant in establishing a parallel relationship that would grow rapidly in the decades ahead.
In 1978, India hosted the Women’s World Cup, with New Zealand among the competing teams. Matches drew large crowds, underlining the country’s deep connection to the game. By 1982, when New Zealand hosted the tournament, the two nations were regular opponents on the global stage. In 1985, India secured its first international win over New Zealand in a one-day series in Indore – another meaningful milestone.
"That sense of shared experience – of being just outside cricket’s traditional power centres – helped build a relationship."
Dipak Patel
The era of the allrounders
Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee during the 1978 test match between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve, Wellington
In the men’s game, the 1980s became the era of the allrounder. New Zealand had Sir Richard Hadlee; India had Kapil Dev; England had Sir Ian Botham; Pakistan had Imran Khan. It was a golden period, where individual brilliance could define matches.
Hadlee summited an Everest of his own and cemented a place in Test history in Bangalore in 1988 when he dismissed India’s Arun Lal to claim his 374th Test wicket. In doing so, he surpassed Botham as the most successful Test wicket taker of all time. Recalling the achievement in an interview with Stuff on the 30th anniversary of the feat, Hadlee said the moment was “sheer delight and relief. This wicket had been contemplated for so long, it was there for the taking and all of a sudden, it became a reality.”
“To be a pacesetter, and [for] a New Zealander to do it which was unheard of, and to manage to hang onto it for another five or so years ... to be the one for others to chase was significant in my career.”
Veteran cricket commentator Bryan Waddle was in Bangalore covering the test and vividly remembers the milestone 38 years on.
“It was a moment that we were awaiting. It was an expectation that Hadlee was going to be able to take that world record.
“It was in the first half hour [of play]. I was commentating and we were just sitting in an old tin hut doing the commentary with Jeremy Coney.
“It was a special moment. You don’t often get to call those.”
His call – that the “Rolls Royce of fast bowlers opens a new page in cricket history” – became part of New Zealand cricket folklore.
Kapil Dev presents the 1983 Cricket World Cup trophy to then Indian president, Giani Zail Singh
Years later, Kapil Dev would surpass Hadlee’s record. It felt less like a rivalry and more like a continuation – two players from different nations pushing the boundaries of what was possible. “Kapil Dev was one of the very best,” Waddle says. “Someone who could turn a game.”
If the 1980s were about respect, the 1990s introduced something more complex: identity.
Dipak Patel’s story sits at the centre of that shift, with his international career running from 1987 to 1997. Born to Indian parents, raised in both Kenya and England, and later moving to New Zealand after playing a couple of first-class seasons here, he became just the second player of Indian descent to represent the Black Caps. His journey reflected a changing world.
“I was only 16 or 17 when the invitation came from Bishan personally. He’d seen me grow up through the grassroots of English cricket and I played against him and in county cricket, so he obviously saw something there to try and entice me to go to India.”
However, turning down that opportunity wasn’t difficult, says Patel.
“It wasn’t a tough decision. I’d have been going into a tough environment that I wouldn’t have been used to whereas I had come through the English system and represented my county.” When he eventually represented New Zealand, it carried mixed emotions.
“My parents were born and bred in India [Gujarat]. My father just adored Indian cricket. He worshipped Indian cricketers; they were his idols. So, for me growing [up] my heroes were the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Bishen Bedi.”
Patel said playing two decades later than Narotam “Tom” Puna – the first player of Indian descent to play for New Zealand – meant he had a different perspective on the sport in Aotearoa. “I got to meet Narotam Puna … and we had good long chats about his time in cricket,” says Patel.
“We talked about when he first came over and the difficulties of playing at first class level. He was obviously a fine cricketer and through good performances he got accepted into the first-class scene and then getting selected for New Zealand was a huge achievement.”
“Tom was a little bit more apprehensive to start with until he actually got in the team and got used to the regime and he appreciated the players did care about him and he was accepted … that makes it so much easier.”
The dual identity of heritage and nationality would become increasingly common.
Common Ground podcast: A conversation with Dipak Patel
Years later, Kapil Dev would surpass Hadlee’s record. It felt less like a rivalry and more like a continuation – two players from different nations pushing the boundaries of what was possible.
India’s rise as a global cricket powerhouse
Sachin Tendulkar played for India from 1989 to 2013, including 65 international matches against New Zealand
At the same time, India’s rise as a cricketing powerhouse was gathering pace. At its core stood Sachin Tendulkar, known as the “Little Master”. For New Zealand, Tendulkar’s brilliance was often experienced firsthand. His 82 off 49 balls in Auckland in 1994 reshaped India’s one-day approach. His unbeaten 186 in Hyderabad in 1999, alongside Rahul Dravid, powered India to 376 for two. Earlier in that year, Tendulkar’s 163 in Christchurch had already demonstrated his dominance.
Yet it was not just the runs that left an impression – it was the scale of India’s cricket culture both on and off the field.
Waddle distinctly remembers the scenes at a hotel they were staying at in Hyderabad. “There were thousands of people outside just trying to catch a glimpse of Tendulkar,” he says. “You couldn’t even get out of the lift without going through security.”
Common Ground podcast: A conversation with Bryan Waddle
For the New Zealand players, it was a glimpse into a different world – one where cricket was not just a sport, but a national obsession.
The turn of the century marked a defining shift. In 2000, New Zealand defeated India in the ICC Champions Trophy final in Nairobi, with Chris Cairns producing a match-winning unbeaten 102. It remains one of New Zealand’s most significant victories over India.
But the more profound transformation came off the field.
Later that year, former New Zealand captain John Wright was appointed coach of India – the first foreigner to hold the role. It was a bold move and not universally welcomed. “There was opposition,” Wright recalls. “There was an element of, ‘Who is this New Zealander taking our boys?’ ”
What followed was one of the most influential partnerships in modern cricket. Working alongside captain Sourav Ganguly and a core group including Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman, Wright helped reshape India into a team capable of winning overseas.
Sachin Tendulkar during his first visit to New Zealand in 1988, aged 15. Two years later, he played his first test match against New Zealand (Photo Canterbury Stories CCL-PH20-102)
“I’ll never forget asking Anil Kumble how many Tests had he won overseas? He’d played something like 60 Tests and he said just one!
"And I couldn’t quite believe it because they were so talented. So, we set about changing that,” says Wright.
“But it was challenging and I remember one incident early on when someone came up to me and said, ‘John, have you got good ears?’ And I said, ‘um, I think so, but why?’
“He said, ‘So you can hear the knives going in your back.’”
Wright reflects that it took him a year or two to figure out how Indian cricket politics works. “Cricket in India is big. It goes right to the top, but it is much loved and I still believe the [Indians are] the most passionate cricket fans in the world.”
Despite some initial growing pains, Wright describes his experience as an overwhelmingly positive one. “I had many wonderful experiences with some very talented players, tremendous young men and I found them a wonderful group to coach.”
Under his leadership, India reached the 2003 World Cup final and secured landmark victories abroad, including a historic series win in Pakistan in 2004.
It marked a shift in the relationship. New Zealand was no longer simply an opponent – it was contributing to India’s cricketing evolution.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) transformed cricket into a global industry
The Indian Premier League (IPL) transformed cricket into a global industry, bringing players, coaches and cultures together in a way never seen before.
For New Zealand, it created new opportunities. Former Black Caps captain Stephen Fleming became one of the most successful coaches in the competition’s history with the Chennai Super Kings, forming a long-standing partnership with MS Dhoni. New Zealand players became regular figures in the tournament, gaining exposure to the scale and intensity of Indian cricket.
The same transformation would later occur in the women’s game. After decades of operating on the margins, Indian women’s cricket underwent a significant shift in the mid-2000s when it came under the control of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket India).
That paved the way for increased investment, professionalism and, eventually, the launch of the Women’s Premier League (WPL).
The WPL has quickly become one of the most influential competitions in the global women’s game – providing financial security, visibility and opportunity on a scale previously unseen. For New Zealand players, it has opened doors similar to those created by the IPL.
Common Ground podcast: A conversation with John Wright
For the New Zealand players, it was a glimpse into a different world – one where cricket was not just a sport, but a national obsession.
World Cups and shared wins
In 2019, the Black Caps and India met in a dramatic semi-final in Manchester. Played over two days due to rain, it swung repeatedly. New Zealand’s 239 for eight looked modest. But when India collapsed to 24 for four, the match shifted dramatically. A fighting partnership between MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja brought India back before Martin Guptill’s direct-hit run-out of Dhoni – by the narrowest of margins – turned the game again, with New Zealand holding on to win.
Four years later, at the 2023 World Cup in India, the tables turned. India defeated New Zealand in the semi-final, powered by centuries from Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, and a seven-wicket haul from Mohammed Shami. It was a reminder that the rivalry remained as competitive as ever.
By the 2020s, however, the relationship had evolved from rivalry into something more intertwined.
Report: "What began as a distant contest has become something far more personal"
New Zealand’s victory over India in the inaugural World Test Championship final in 2021 stands as one of the country’s greatest achievements. Yet it was a moment later that year that perhaps best captures the modern connection. In Mumbai, Ajaz Patel – born in the city, raised in New Zealand – took all 10 wickets in an innings against India. Only the third bowler in the history of the game to do so.
“It’s quite poetic,” Patel says of being a New Zealand cricketer of Indian heritage, achieving one of cricket’s rarest feats in the city of his birth and against the country of his ancestry.
As he approached the milestone, Patel observed the crowd’s reaction shift. “I certainly felt like I was embraced as one of their own.” It was a moment that blurred the boundaries of nationality, identity and belonging.
That theme is now central to the relationship. Players such as Jeetan Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi and Ajaz Patel represent a generation shaped by migration and dual heritage and who are comfortable in both worlds.
Common Ground podcast: A conversation with Ajaz Patel
Black Caps Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi and Ajaz Patel
In the women’s game, that story is still unfolding.
Nensi Patel’s emergence as a White Fern represents another step in that evolution – a sign of how New Zealand cricket continues to reflect its changing population.
Through competitions such as the Women’s Premier League, the connection between the two nations continues to deepen. New Zealand captain Melie Kerr now plays alongside India’s Harmanpreet Kaur for the Mumbai Indians.
“The first year you don’t really know what the outcome is going to be,” Kerr says. “But it exceeded expectations – and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger.”
With that growth has come increased pressure.
“There’s more sponsorship, more media, more expectations,” she says. “Your performance is your currency – runs and wickets.”
The intensity reflects the scale of cricket in India.
“In India, it’s their whole world. If you win, it’s everything. If you lose, it’s really tough.” But she also understands the context behind that emotion. “For some players, it’s life changing. Their contracts can support their families. That’s why the emotion is so strong.”
New Zealand captain Melie Kerr (left) and Nensi Patel are part of a new generation of White Ferns players
For all those differences, she sees a shared foundation. “The values are actually really similar,” she says. “There’s a real care for each other.”
For Indian players, New Zealand offers something different – the chance to step outside the spotlight.
“They can walk outside without getting interrupted,” Kerr says. “That’s pretty special.”
Common Ground podcast: A conversation with Melie Kerr
Across a century, the relationship between New Zealand and India in cricket has been transformed. What began as a distant contest has become something far more personal – shaped by shared experiences, mutual respect and, increasingly, shared identity.
Sports historian Dr Geoff Watson explains, “India is now very much a place of sporting opportunity for many New Zealanders, not just those playing in the Indian Premier League, but also a good number of New Zealand hockey players are playing in the Indian Hockey League as well. So it’s quite an interesting sort of evolution of the relationship.”
As New Zealand and India celebrate 100 years of sporting ties Watson only sees the relationship getting stronger.
“India is part of a sporting pathway for a number of New Zealanders now, for those of Indian descent, and non-Indian descent, so I think that will continue to be important.
“I mean [India] is effectively paying the salaries of a lot of New Zealand’s elite cricketers and, to a lesser extent, some of the hockey players and I think that will continue to develop.”
Report: "Cricket has not just linked New Zealand and India; it has narrowed the distance."
Watson points out that successive New Zealand governments have also recognised the broader value of sport in an increasingly multicultural New Zealand. “One of the things you see is that governments of all stripes have continued to put a lot of funding into sports since the 1990s and early 2000s, because they see sport as important to both social and international cohesion.”
From Bert Sutcliffe’s defiance in Delhi to Bruce Taylor’s unmatched debut in Kolkata, from Sir Richard Hadlee and Kapil Dev’s great battles as allrounders to Sachin Tendulkar reshaping batting, from John Wright helping build a new India to Ajaz Patel’s perfect 10 in Mumbai, the layers continue to build.
Cricket has not just linked New Zealand and India; it has narrowed the distance. As the next century begins, that relationship looks less like a rivalry, and more like a shared future.
What began as a distant contest has become something far more personal – shaped by shared experiences, mutual respect and, increasingly, shared identity.
A Century of sporting ties
This article is the second in a four-part series looking at New Zealand's sporting ties with India. The first article published focussed on hockey:
The other two articles will be published over coming weeks and will be added here once they are.
A Century of Sporting Ties - download the report
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The Foundation's sports programme provides New Zealand sportspeople and administrators opportunities to grow more knowledgeable, connected and confident with Asia.
The Foundation's research programme publishes surveys, reports, and insights briefs relating to all aspects of New Zealand’s relationships with and interests in Asia. We also provide grants to emerging scholars with Asia-related research interests.
