Mumbai, Dec 3 : New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the second Test match against India here at the Wankhede stadium on Friday.
The 31-year-old continues to battle a left-elbow injury which has troubled him for much of 2021. New Zealand wicket-keeper batter Tom Latham will lead the visiting team.
Black Caps head coach Gary Stead said that Williamson’s injury flared-up during the first Test in Kanpur, adding that the call to rule him out was taken after monitoring it in the days following the match.
“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. 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,” he said.
Stead further said that the management needs to formulate a plan to ensure the injury, which first emerged during the New Zealand home summer, doesn’t bother him in future. He also hinted that Williamson will require a “sustained period of rest” to return.
“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.
Earlier, the BCCI announced that Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja have been ruled out after suffering injuries in the first Test.
While Ishant dislocated his left little finger, Jadeja suffered a right forearm injury. Rahane, who led India in the first game, sustained a minor left hamstring strain.
