New Zealand win 3-0, leaving India with one win in 2026

Khalid Jamil’s team lost seven of their eight games this year, all of which were against teams ranked higher.

One win in eight matches. The 3-0 defeat to New Zealand in Christchurch meant that in his first full year in charge of the Indian men's football team, Khalid Jamil has lost all but the inconsequential Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong. Anything else would have been a surprise, because seven of those matches were against higher-ranked teams and four were away from home.

India lost to New Zealand on Sunday. (Indian Football - X)

Five of those seven, including the one on Sunday, were against opponents who were part of the 2026 World Cup.

Jamil and his men have spoken of using these never-before opportunities as a learning experience. To that end, India leaking two goals from corner kicks would worry him because his team has generally defended set pieces well. But India did take lessons from the first game (which they lost 5-0) against New Zealand, who are 50 places above them in the FIFA rankings. They were more compact at the back and even managed a half where they didn’t concede.

“You have to give credit to how they defended,” said New Zealand head coach Darren Bazeley.

The outcome, though, was never in doubt and first-half goals from Finn Surman (22nd minute), James McGarry (40th) and New Zealand talisman and skipper Chris Wood (42nd) helped the hosts to an easy win.

Till two quick goals ruined it, India had managed to calm New Zealand for most of the first half. Caught by surprise in Auckland, a city currently swarmed with bees, India dropped deeper and played with five at the back. Both teams made five changes and Jamil left Pramveer, Liston Colaco, Jithin MS, Bijoy Varghese and Lalremtluanga Fanai on the bench. Mehtab Singh and Jay Gupta slotted in defence, Roshan Naorem played wing back with Ashique Kuruniyan and Mohammed Sanan starting in midfield.

All of this helped India contain Jesse Randall, whose speed had proved too hot to handle on Thursday. Space wasn’t available like it was for New Zealand in the first of the two-game series. So, though New Zealand managed to get Wood between the central defenders, in the ninth, 12th and 20th minutes, it was 0-0. That changed in the 22nd minute from a corner-kick.

New Zealand had troubled Vishal Kaith by hanging corner-kicks at the far post. Kaith managed to get fingers to the first, couldn’t claim the second in the 14th minute and completely missed the third taken by Callum McCowatt. It meant a free header for hometown boy Surman, whose effort took a deflection off an Indian player on the goalline, making it 1-0 for the All Whites.

India would have been happy to have kept it that way at the break.

Leaving Manvir Singh alone up front meant they offered little in attack. And, like in Auckland, when they did, the passing was poor or possession ceded cheaply. Under pressure in all areas of the pitch, India also struggled to get out of their own half and didn’t help themselves with some poor passes. Gupta played one and was bailed out by Naorem. Ryan Williams won a free-kick in the 11th minute and the idea to play the ball out wide went nowhere because Sanan strayed off-side. Williams, one of the bright spots in 2026, then delayed a pass and was dispossessed.

With half-time at hand, India failed to close down McGarry from a McCowatt corner-kick played short. It gave the New Zealand left-back time and space to take aim with his left foot. Given the arm band, Williams looked visibly frustrated at how easily McGarry, who had tried a few with his right foot earlier, was allowed to score. 2-0 in the 40th became 3-0 in the 42nd when Wood, who has flown for nearly 30 hours from his day job at Nottingham Forest to be part of these friendlies, scored with his thigh.

This time, it came from a cross from Randall.

Kaith kept out a Wood header from close. Hrithik Tiwari, his half-time replacement, made a couple of good saves, one of them in stoppage-time. Varghese, introduced at the start of the second half, made a goalline save and a crucial block to keep it at 3-0 in what was Bazeley’s final game in charge.