New Zealand squad for India friendlies includes three new faces

New Zealand manager Darren Bazeley has named a 22-man squad with three debutants for the upcoming international friendlies against India.

New Zealand manager Darren Bazeley has named a 22-player squad for the upcoming international friendlies against India. The All Whites will host the Blue Tigers at Go Media Stadium in Auckland on November 12 before moving to Christchurch's One New Zealand Stadium three days later.

Darren Bazeley confirmed the squad on Monday. Corban Piper, Matthew Sheridan, and Nathan Walker have all received their first senior call-ups following strong domestic form.

"We track around 50 players so they have all been on our radar for a while," Bazeley said. "But it is their brilliant form at the start of the season which has led to them being selected and we look forward to seeing them step up to this level."

Squad strength and returns

Captain Chris Wood, who has 95 caps and 45 international goals, will lead the side. The squad also sees the return of midfielder Matt Garbett, who has recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him out of recent fixtures.

The selection blends experience with new talent. Goalkeeper Alex Paulsen, who has earned 11 caps, played in all three of New Zealand's friendlies last month. Defender Finn Surman brings 22 caps and a run of 15 consecutive international appearances, while forward Callum McCowatt has four goals in 37 outings for his country.

These matches are the All Whites' only fixtures of the November international window. They come after a mixed set of results in September and October, which you can review on our standings page. The team's most recent outing was a 2-1 defeat to Japan on October 5, where Ben Old scored a first-half equaliser.

Historic fixture in Christchurch

The second match against India on November 15 will be a historic occasion. It marks the first-ever international football match to be played at the newly redeveloped One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch.

Defender Tyler Bindon, who has 32 caps, is part of the squad looking to build momentum. New Zealand's recent form reads one win, two draws and one loss from their last four matches. They followed the loss to Japan with a 1-1 draw against Panama, a 3-0 win in China, and a 2-2 draw with Palestine.

The team will begin preparations this week ahead of the first match in Auckland. New Zealand's next fixture is against India at Go Media Stadium on November 12.