HighLights
  1. New Zealand defeated India 3-0 in the second international friendly at One New Zealand Stadium.
  2. Finn Surman opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, before James McGarry and Chris Wood added goals.
  3. The victory followed their 5-0 win over India in Auckland on November 12.

New Zealand completed a dominant 2-0 sweep of their international friendly series against India after defeating the Blue Tigers 3-0 in the second encounter at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch on Sunday.

Three first-half goals from Finn Surman, James McGarry and Chris Wood sealed another convincing victory for the All Whites, who had thrashed India 5-0 in Auckland earlier this week.

The defeat marked a disappointing end to India's November international window under head coach Khalid Jamil, while the match brought an end to Darren Bazeley's tenure as New Zealand head coach.

ALSO READ: Kumamoto Masters 2026: Lakshya Sen Stuns Koki Watanabe In Final To Clinch Japan Open Title

New Zealand Score Three Goals In First Half

The hosts started aggressively and broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute through Finn Surman. Callum McCowatt delivered a corner into the Indian penalty area, and Surman managed to get the first touch before the ball deflected off an Indian defender and found the back of the net.

India goalkeeper Vishal Kaith was unable to prevent the opener as New Zealand continued to dominate possession and create opportunities. Jesse Randall nearly doubled the advantage in the 33rd minute, but Kaith produced an important save to push his effort over the crossbar.

The All Whites eventually found their second goal in the 41st minute. Owen Parker-Price set up James McGarry, who unleashed a powerful effort from around 25 metres. The shot sneaked inside the left post, leaving Kaith with little chance.

New Zealand added another goal just three minutes later. Randall delivered a pass across the face of the goal, and captain Chris Wood timed his run perfectly to slot home from close range in the 44th minute.

Recommended For You

The goal was Wood's 47th for New Zealand, extending his record as the nation's all-time leading international goalscorer.

India Fail To Find A Response After Half-Time

Trailing by three goals at the break, India needed a strong second-half performance to get back into the contest. However, the Blue Tigers struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against a well-organised New Zealand defence.

Wood came close to scoring his second goal five minutes after the restart but sent his effort wide of the right post.

Both teams made changes as the match progressed, with New Zealand managing their advantage comfortably. Substitute Alex Rufer almost added a fourth in the 86th minute, but his header was cleared by replacement goalkeeper Hrithik Tiwari.

The hosts eventually secured a clean sheet and another convincing victory over India.

ALSO READ: New Zealand vs India LIVE Streaming: When And Where To Watch IND vs NZ International Friendly In India?

New Zealand Complete Dominant Series Sweep

The 3-0 victory followed New Zealand's emphatic 5-0 win in the first friendly at Go Media Stadium in Auckland on November 12.

In that encounter, an early own goal from Bijoy Varghese was followed by a Jesse Randall brace, while Wood and Lachlan Bayliss also got on the scoresheet.

New Zealand finished the two-match series with eight goals scored and two clean sheets, underlining their dominance against the Blue Tigers.

The Christchurch fixture was also the first-ever international football match at the newly opened One New Zealand Stadium. It served as a winning farewell for Bazeley, who ended his tenure as All Whites head coach with a comprehensive victory.


Also In News