Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja have all been ruled out of the second Test in Mumbai due to injuries they sustained in the first Test in Kanpur.
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Team India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and fast-bowler Ishant Sharma have been ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand in Mumbai. Rahane sustained a minor left hamstring strain while fielding on the final day of the 1st Test match in Kanpur. Since he has not recovered completely, he has been ruled out of the encounter in Mumbai. His progress will be closely monitored by the BCCI Medical team. Ishant dislocated his left little finger during the final day of the 1st Test match. The pacer is thus ruled out of the 2nd Test in Mumbai. His progress will continue to be monitored by the BCCI medical team.
Jadeja suffered a right forearm injury during the 1st Test match similarly. After undergoing scans, he was diagnosed with a swelling on his forearm. He has been advised rest and is thus ruled out of the 2nd Test.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will miss the second and final Test against India in Mumbai. Williamson continues to battle the left-elbow injury which has troubled him for much of 2021, resulting in this decision. Coach Gary Stead confirmed the injury had flared-up during the first Test in Kanpur. With it failing to improve in the days following the match, the call was made to rule the captain out.
“It’s been a really tough time for Kane having to deal with such a persistent injury. While we’ve been able to manage the injury through the year and the T20 World Cup, the shift to Test cricket and the increased batting loading has re-aggravated his elbow. Ultimately the injury is still not right and while he got through the Kanpur Test, it was clear playing in the second Test wasn’t an option,” said Stead.
“We all know how much he loves playing and leading this team, particularly in Test cricket, so it’s a very difficult decision to sit out. It’s been a challenging year for Kane trying to manage his elbow and it’s important we now formulate a good plan with him to ensure the injury does not continue to plague him. He will likely require a sustained period of rest followed by rehabilitation, strengthening and gradual batting loading,” he added.
Williamson has been dealing with the tendon injury for quite a while, with the same first emerging during New Zealand’s home summer. Tom Latham will lead the side in Williamson’s place. The final playing XI will be confirmed at the toss.
The Indian men’s cricket team might not have lost the first of the two-Test matches against New Zealand, but it sure felt like a defeat. India only needed one wicket to win the match at the end but a resilient partnership between Ajaz Patel and Rachin Ravindra denied the hosts what would have been an outstanding victory. The Kiwis will be in good spirits going into the second and final Test match on Friday as they earned a commendable draw from the clutches of defeat. However, there will be a few concerns regarding the middle order.
For India, there does not seem to be any immediate worry. Almost all of the players had a decent performance in the first Test and they will be hoping to win the upcoming match and the series. A good thing for the hosts will be that their skipper Virat Kohli will be back for the match. It will be interesting to see who will miss out to accommodate Kohli in the starting line-up.
