Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the second Test against India, scheduled to start on October 24 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. He missed the series opener in Bengaluru due to a groin injury.
He was injured during the 0-2 series defeat against Sri Lanka. Will Young batted at No.3 in Kane’s absence, and the Kiwis clinched an 8-wicket victory over the Rohit Sharma-led team.
Gary Stead, the national coach, confirmed that the management will not take risks with their star batter.
“We are monitoring his progress and he is getting better but is not yet 100% fit. We are hopeful of him having back for the final Test against India in Mumbai. We are ready to give him as much time he needs to recover from the injury,” Gary Stead said.
On his Test debut in Ahmedabad in 2010, Kane scored a century. Since then, he has been to India on three tours, with his last appearance coming in Kanpur in 2021.
In 15 innings in India, he has massed 503 runs at an average of 33.53.
New Zealand will miss him in the Pune Test as India National Cricket Team has demanded a turning track to level the series.
Related