‘Exciting to See Him in Middle Order’: Seifert Backs Finn Allen for New Role Against India

Mount Maunganui, November 12, 2026: New Zealand batter Tim Seifert has expressed excitement over the possibility of seeing his T20I opening partner Finn Allen take up a middle-order role in the upcoming ODI against India.

The fourth match of the five-match series will be played at Mount Maunganui on Friday, with India leading 2-0. The third ODI in Hamilton was abandoned due to rain.

Allen, who has established himself as one of New Zealand’s explosive T20I batters, could be considered for a new role in the ODI setup, with head coach Rob Walter hinting at the possibility of using him in the middle order.

Speaking ahead of the match, Seifert praised Allen’s abilities and said his skill set would allow him to adapt to different batting positions.

“He is a talented player. He has done very well for New Zealand and also around the world as well. So, with his skill set, he can adapt wherever. So it will be exciting seeing him potentially come in the middle order there,” Seifert said.

Allen has scored 582 runs in 22 ODIs, averaging 27.71 across 21 innings, including five half-centuries.

Seifert also spoke about his own experience of opening the batting in the ongoing series. Having previously featured primarily in the middle order in ODIs, he said he was enjoying the new responsibility.

“I have enjoyed it. It has been a wee while. Also opening the batting for the first time as well. All of my other games have been in the middle order. So it has been a new role as well, which I have enjoyed,” he said.

Seifert has been a successful T20I batter, scoring 2,408 runs in 95 matches at an average of 30.87 and a strike rate of 146.73, including 18 half-centuries. However, his ODI numbers have been modest, with 97 runs in seven matches at an average of 19.40. He has scored 38 and 0 in the two matches of the ongoing series.

Discussing the playing conditions at Mount Maunganui, Seifert highlighted the importance of running between the wickets, particularly during the middle overs.

He pointed to India’s strong running between the wickets, citing Virat Kohli and other Indian batters as examples of the standard New Zealand would look to match.

Seifert also noted that the ground’s open setting and strong winds could make boundary-hitting challenging, making quick running and converting ones into twos particularly important.

With India holding a 2-0 advantage, New Zealand will look to make the most of their home conditions and keep the series alive in Friday’s encounter.