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Williamson out of the opening match of the Test series against India | News India

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Wellington, 9 October (Hindustan Reporter). Kane Williamson's departure for India will be delayed and he has recently been ruled out of the first Test in Bengaluru due to a groin strain.

Williamson felt discomfort during the second Test against Sri Lanka and will undergo rehabilitation before joining the team in India, New Zealand Cricket said in a media release on Wednesday (October 9).

New Zealand selector Sam Wells hoped Williamson would be available to play later in the series after completing rehabilitation.

“The advice we have received is that the best course of action for Kane is to rest and rehabilitate rather than risk aggravating the injury,” Wells said. We are hopeful that Kane will be available for the latter half of the tour if rehabilitation goes as planned. “While it is obviously disappointing for Kane not to be available from the start of the tour, it does provide an opportunity for someone else to play a role in an important series.”

Mark Chapman, who is uncapped at Test level, will join the team as cover for Williamson. Chapman, who plays regularly in New Zealand's white-ball teams, averages 41.9 in first-class cricket with six centuries, including one against India A in 2020. He scored 245 runs in three matches in the Plunket Shield last summer, including 123 against the Otago Vols.

“We believe Mark is one of our best players of spin and has an excellent track record in the subcontinent,” Wells said. Mark has demonstrated the ability to play spin actively at international level and with his excellent first-class record, we see him as a player who will be successful in the kind of conditions he is expected to face in India. Could be.”

Meanwhile, Michael Bracewell will travel with the team for the first Test before returning home for the birth of his second child. Ish Sodhi will replace him for the rest of the series.

New Zealand's squad is as follows: Tom Latham (captain), Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell (1st Test only), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi (2nd and 3rd Test only), Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Will Young.