Kane Williamson To Miss Pune Test Against India As New Zealand Suffers Huge Blow

Kane Williamson, former New Zealand captain, will not be playing in the second Test against India, the Kiwis confirmed. The match will be played in Pune’s MCA Stadium from October 24 onwards, as New Zealand leads the three-Test series 1-0.

Kane Williamson had also missed the first Test against India, which the Kiwis won in Bengaluru. The 34-year-old batsman made his Test debut in India in 2010 and struck a century in Ahmedabad. The right-handed hitter has played three Test matches in India, the last of which was in Kanpur in 2021.

He missed the second Test of the tour owing to an elbow injury, thus Tom Latham led the team, who lost by 372 runs. Overall, Williamson had a respectable record in India, accumulating 503 runs in 15 innings with an average of 33.53.

Kane Williamson to be monitored for his injury, confirms New Zealand coach Gary Stead

Williamson, New Zealand’s all-time greatest Test run-scorer, suffered a groin injury during his team’s recent 0-2 series loss to Sri Lanka. He missed the first Test against India, which New Zealand won by eight wickets. During Williamson’s absence from the first Test, Will Young batted at number three.

New Zealand’s head coach, Gary Stead, provided an update on Kane Williamson’s recuperation. Stead added that Williamson is striving hard to make a comeback but is not yet totally fit to play Test cricket.

“We’re monitoring Kane and he’s tracking in the right direction but isn’t yet 100% fit. 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,” Stead told BlackCaps.

The New Zealand head coach indicated that the team will approach Kane Williamson’s comeback with caution. Williamson’s involvement in the third and final Test remains doubtful. However, Stead remains optimistic about his chances, noting that they are eager for development in the future.

New Zealand hoped for Kane’s return in the second Test, as India may build spin-friendly grounds following their surprise loss in Bengaluru. Williamson is recognized for his great abilities against spin bowling and played well with the bat in the recent series against Sri Lanka.

New Zealand won the opening Test by 8 wickets, ending a 36-year wait for a Test win in India. The second Test gets underway on October 24 while the third and final Test will be played in Mumbai from November 1.

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