India and New Zealand have produced a closely contested rivalry across generations, with the Test record showing India ahead overall but New Zealand delivering several major wins, particularly in the most recently listed Test meetings. In 65 Tests between the sides, India won 22, New Zealand won 16 and 27 were drawn. The ODI record also indicates a narrow historical advantage for India, while the T20I comparison needs format-specific figures rather than being combined with the longer formats.
The Test head-to-head record
The Test numbers provide the clearest full-format snapshot. India and New Zealand had played 65 Tests in the record displayed by myKhel, with 22 Indian wins, 16 New Zealand wins and 27 draws. The high number of draws reflects how long the rivalry has run and how frequently Tests between the teams were shaped by conditions, time lost or batting resistance.
| Result in India vs New Zealand Tests | Number of matches |
|---|---|
| Matches played | 65 |
| India wins | 22 |
| New Zealand wins | 16 |
| Draws | 27 |
| Ties | 0 |
India’s advantage is visible in the overall win column, but the draw total is important context. A simple wins comparison does not fully capture a Test rivalry in which more than two-fifths of the recorded matches ended without a winner. For readers assessing any future contest, the format record should therefore be treated as background rather than a standalone forecast.
Home, away and neutral Test results
The same Test record separates victories by venue category. India had 17 home Test wins against New Zealand and five away wins. New Zealand had 10 home wins, five away wins and one neutral-venue win. That split illustrates the value of venue when interpreting the overall margin.
India’s stronger home tally accounted for much of its overall lead. Meanwhile, both teams had the same number of listed away victories, five each. This is a useful corrective to broad claims that one team has dominated everywhere: the historical record shows a far more even picture outside each side’s home conditions.
What the latest listed Tests show
The six most recently listed Tests include a sharp swing in New Zealand’s favour. New Zealand won all three Tests in India in October and November 2024, following India’s home series win and draw in 2021. These results do not erase the wider 65-Test record, but they show why the head-to-head cannot be reduced to one historic percentage.
| Match | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | 16 October 2024 | New Zealand won by 8 wickets |
| 2nd Test | 24 October 2024 | New Zealand won by 113 runs |
| 3rd Test | 1 November 2024 | New Zealand won by 25 runs |
| 2nd Test | 3 December 2021 | India won by 372 runs |
| 1st Test | 25 November 2021 | Drawn |
| Final | 18 June 2021 | New Zealand won by 8 wickets |
The 2024 sequence was particularly significant because New Zealand won three matches in a row in India. In the first Test, India made 46 and 462, while New Zealand made 402 and then reached 110 for two to win by eight wickets. The second Test ended with New Zealand winning by 113 runs after posting 259 and 255, against India’s 156 and 245.
The third Test was tighter on the final margin but completed the series sweep. New Zealand made 235 and 174, while India scored 263 and 121; New Zealand won by 25 runs. Viewed together, those three matches demonstrate that series-level momentum can matter more than the older aggregate when evaluating a particular tour.
The contrasting 2021 Test results
The 2021 matches listed in the record tell a different story. India defeated New Zealand by 372 runs in the second Test beginning on 3 December, after making 325 and declaring at 276 for seven. New Zealand’s scores were 62 and 167. The first Test of that series, beginning on 25 November, ended drawn, with India posting 345 and declaring at 234 for seven, while New Zealand made 296 and 165 for nine.
New Zealand also beat India by eight wickets in the Final beginning on 18 June 2021. India made 217 and 170, while New Zealand replied with 249 and then 140 for two. These adjacent results underline the changing nature of a long rivalry: a commanding home win can sit close in time to a major New Zealand victory.
ODI record: an Indian edge, but exact totals need care
The broad ODI picture is that India held a slight overall head-to-head advantage. One ODI overview describes the teams as having played more than 110 matches, with a few ending tied or without a result. That is enough to establish that this is an extensive bilateral and tournament rivalry, but it is not a basis for presenting one exact all-time total without a clearly aligned record date.
Several ODI series from different periods reveal the back-and-forth nature of the fixture. India won the 2009 ODI series in New Zealand by 3–1 and won the 2016 home ODI series 3–2. New Zealand then won their 2020 home ODI series against India 3–0. These results reinforce the lesson from the Test split: home and away context can materially change the outcome.
For followers comparing past numbers with a forthcoming fixture, cricket prediction should be based on the confirmed format, venue and match conditions, rather than an all-format head-to-head total. A Test draw from an earlier era, for example, says little about a limited-overs contest unless the relevant evidence is separated carefully.
ODI landmarks in the rivalry
The ODI history has included both high totals and very low scores. India’s highest listed team total against New Zealand was 392 for four at Christchurch in 2009, while New Zealand’s highest listed total against India was 349 for nine at Rajkot. At the other end, India were bowled out for 79 at Hamilton in 2019, and New Zealand’s listed lowest total against India was 103 all out at Visakhapatnam in 2016.
Individual innings also stand out. Shubman Gill made 208 against New Zealand in 2023, while Ross Taylor’s listed highest score in this head-to-head was 181 in 2010. Such landmarks are useful historical reference points, although they should not be used to claim a permanent scoring pattern across every venue or era.
Why T20I totals must remain separate
T20I records should never be merged into Test and ODI totals to create a single “overall” answer. The formats have different match lengths, tactical demands and result patterns. A combined number may look comprehensive, but it can obscure the information readers actually need: how the two sides have performed in the specific format being discussed.
A single exact T20I aggregate is not stated in the available head-to-head details here, so it should not be guessed. The most reliable approach is to use a dedicated T20I record that identifies total matches, wins, losses, ties and no-results, with its cut-off date made clear. The same principle applies to ODI totals when different summaries show ranges rather than one settled figure.
Reading the rivalry beyond the headline number
India’s 22–16 Test lead is meaningful, yet the 27 draws, equal number of away wins and New Zealand’s three victories in India in 2024 all add essential perspective. In ODIs, India’s historical edge exists alongside New Zealand series successes at home. The rivalry is best understood through format, venue and period, not a single combined statistic.
The India–New Zealand head-to-head remains compelling because its record contains both long-term patterns and abrupt reversals. Tests provide the strongest verified aggregate here, ODI history shows a narrow Indian advantage, and T20I data should be read independently. That format-by-format approach gives the clearest view of a rivalry defined by competitive shifts rather than permanent dominance.
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