NZ lose Southee but start tour brightly
Black Caps batsmen find form in tour match, but Tim Southee ruled out
of Test series against India
 |
|
NZ will be without Southee
for the Test series against India |
New Zealand have lost the services of Tim Southee for the Test series
in India after the pace bowler suffered an ankle injury.Southee felt
pain in his left ankle while bowling in the nets this week and a scan
showed a grade two ligament strain.
He will return home to recover and won't play in the three-Test
series starting in Kanpur on Thursday.
His place will be taken by four-Test seamer Matt Henry.Coach Mike
Hesson says Southee should improve quickly with rest and may well be
available for the five one-day internationals in India starting in
mid-October. Quick Single: Vote for India's Greatest Test XI
"Tim has been working hard in preparation for this tour, so he's
understandably very disappointed to be ruled out of all three Tests,"
Hesson said.
"The focus now is for Tim to give his ankle seven-10 days' rest,
before slowly building his bowling loads back up."
Southee, 27, has been a key contributor with his swing bowling
throughout a 52-Test career, taking 177 wickets at 32 and forming an
effective new ball combination with Trent Boult.
His recent form has dropped away, having taken just 14 wickets in his
six Tests in 2016.
Henry may struggle for selection in Indian conditions which are
expected to favour spin bowling.
Meanwhile, NZ's batsmen have made an encouraging start to their tour,
cruising past 300 on the opening day of a warm-up match against Mumbai
in Delhi.
The Black Caps had few problems in friendly batting conditions,
declaring at 7-324 before reducing Mumbai to 1-29 at stumps.
Quick Single: The greatest Border-Gavaskar Tests
Captain Kane Williamson scored 50 and opener Tom Latham 55 before he
became the first of two batsmen to retire to allow others to spend time
at the crease.
The lifeless pitch at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium and an inexperienced
home bowling attack meant the tourists were a class above on the opening
day, but conditions are expected to be more inhospitable when play in
the first of three Tests starts on Kanpur on Thursday.
Every Black Cap passed 20 on Friday aside from out-of-touch opener
Martin Guptill, who struck a six in the first over but departed soon
afterwards, caught behind for 15.
Latham and Williamson put on 85 for the second wicket, scoring at a
healthy run rate which was maintained throughout the innings.
Ross Taylor (41) and Henry Nicholls (29) were also unafraid to use
their feet against spin and loft over the infield.
Spinners Mitchell Santner (45), Mark Craig (33no) and Ish Sodhi
(29no) produced handy knocks, along with wicketkeeper BJ Watling, who
retired on 21.
Seamer Trent Boult claimed New Zealand's only wicket, removing Jay
Bista with the third ball of Mumbai's response.
- cricket.com.au |
