Cricket

IND Vs NZ: Blow For The BlackCaps As Kane Williamson Is Ruled Out Of 2nd Test

Ace New Zealand batter Kane Williamson won't feature in the second Test against India at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune as he continues to recover from the groin injury he picked up in the Test series against Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka vs New Zealand 1st Test Cricket Day 2 Photo gallery_7
SL Vs NZ, 1st Test Day 2: New Zealand's Kane Williamson runs between the wickets | Photo: AP/Viraj Kothalawala
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New Zealand have announced that former captain and batter Kane Williamson will not feature in the second Test against India in Pune due to injury. (More Cricket News)

Williamson had sat out of the 1st IND Vs NZ Test in Bengaluru due to a groin strain that he picked up during their ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka last month.

NZ coach Gary Stead said that Williamson has made slight progress in his rehabilitation but the second Test comes too soon for the 34-year-old that starts from Thursday, October 24.

We're monitoring Kane and he's tracking in the right direction, but isn't yet 100 percent fit,” Stead said.

“We're hopeful to see further improvement over the coming days and have him available for the third Test.

“We'll give him as much time as possible to get himself ready, but certainly continue to take a cautious approach."

New Zealand cricket team's eight-wicket win over India in the 1st Test was their first on Asian soil since 1988 and moved them in fourth place on the current World Test Championship standings.

India are still atop the WTC standings despite the defeat, with their lead to second-placed Australia and Sri Lanka reduced.

New Zealand squad: Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Will Young