Just one day before their tour of India begins, New Zealand has encountered a setback with the news that pacer Ben Sears will miss the entire Test series due to a knee injury. The first Test is scheduled to start on Wednesday in Bengaluru, but Sears felt pain in his left knee during training while playing in the recent Test series in Sri Lanka. After undergoing scans back in New Zealand last week, it was confirmed that he would not be able to participate in the series.
To fill the gap left by Sears, uncapped bowler Jacob Duffy has been called up. Duffy is Otago’s all-time leading wicket-taker and has experience playing for New Zealand in 6 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 14 T20 Internationals (T20Is). He currently has an impressive record of 299 First-Class wickets.
New Zealand’s head coach Gary Stead said he was hopeful Sears would make a fast recovery.
“We’re obviously disappointed for Ben who made a strong start to his Test career during the home summer and offers a genuine pace option,” said Stead.
“It remains to be seen how long we’ll be without him for, but we’re hopeful his road to a full recovery will be a short one.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for Jacob who has been around Test the squad before. With three Tests ahead of us he has every chance of making his Test debut.“
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In a further twist, Tim Southee, who recently stepped down as captain, may also be at risk of missing the first Test against India. Just two weeks ago, he was leading the team and aimed to surpass the 400-wicket mark in Test cricket. However, Southee has struggled with his form this year, taking only eight wickets in 11 innings at an average of 73.12. His performance has been a concern for a while, with an average of 38.86 in 21 Tests since the start of 2022.
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has acknowledged that with Southee not captain anymore, there’s no guarantee he will be included in the starting XI for the first Test. The team will need to closely evaluate his form and fitness before making a final decision. As the first Test approaches, the absence of Sears and the potential sidelining of Southee leave New Zealand in a challenging position as they prepare to compete against a strong Indian side.
“Like all Test tours and series, we have reviews at the end of it, and Tim and I had a conversation around it, then he made the decision to stand down,” Stead said ahead of the Bengaluru Test.
“He thought it was in the best interests of the team. I supported his decision around that. It allows different players to be considered in roles, and as a selector and coach, you are always trying to put what you think is the very best team out there.”
