New Zealand: The New Zealand cricket team led by Tom Latham is currently touring India for the ongoing three-match Test series against India.  The New Zealand team showed an excellent performance and defeated India by eight wickets in the first test match which was held in Bengaluru City. With this, the New Zealand team, who have registered their first win at the beginning of this series, and led 1-0 in this series. The Player of the Match was Rachin Ravindra, for scoring a century in the first innings and an unbeaten 39* in the chase against India. New Zealand bowlers Will O’Rourke and Matt Henry took seven and eight wickets respectively.

Following this, the second Test match between India and New Zealand will be held in Pune City on October 24 (Thursday). Due to this, the players of both teams reached Pune on Monday evening and they were set to have their first practice session in Pune city on Tuesday. In this case, it has been officially announced that the New Zealand team’s former captain and star player Kane Williamson will not play in the second test match against the Indian team.

Prolific batter Kane Williamson, who is New Zealand’s greatest Test run-scorer, did not travel to India with the New Zealand squad, after experiencing groin discomfort during the second Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle last month as New Zealand thrashed to a 2-0 series whitewash. Williamson remained at home to continue his rehabilitation.

The former captain was included in the tour squad, but delayed his departure and missed the first Test match in Bengaluru, which New Zealand won by eight wickets. But the injury sustained earlier has not yet healed, forcing Williamson to sit out of the crucial match. His absence will be a significant blow to New Zealand as they face India in the ongoing Test series, who have won their last 18 Test series on home soil.

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said, “We’re monitoring Kane Williamson and he’s tracking in the right direction, but he isn’t yet 100 percent fit. We’re hopeful to see further improvement over the upcoming days and have him available for the third Test match. We’ll give him as much time as possible to get himself ready, but certainly continue to take a cautious approach.”

Although the former captain was unlikely to play the first Test in Bengaluru on October 16, selector Sam Wells said that he was “hopeful” the 34-year-old batter would return later in the series. For Williamson’s absence, Will Young batted at No.3 and made 33 and 48 not out in the first Test match against India which was held in Bengaluru.

Uncapped batter Mark Chapman has been added to New Zealand’s 16-man squad as cover for Williamson for the three-Test match series against India, who is New Zealand’s greatest Test run-scorer, with 8881 runs at an average rate of 54.48 from 102 matches.