Mumbai: Kane Williamson to Miss Third Test Against India to Focus on Injury Recovery
Mumbai, 29th October 2024: Former New Zealand captain and prominent batter Kane Williamson will not participate in the upcoming third Test against India, led by Rohit Sharma. The final match of the current three-match series is set to take place at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, starting Friday, November 1.
In an official announcement made by the New Zealand Cricket Board on Tuesday, October 29, it was confirmed that Williamson will remain in New Zealand to continue his rehabilitation for a groin injury, ensuring he is fit for the upcoming three-Test series against England.
The Black Caps stated, “A cautious approach will be adopted, allowing Williamson to focus on his recovery ahead of the first Test against England, which is scheduled to begin at Hagley Oval on November 28.”
New Zealand’s head coach, Gary Stead, noted that while the 34-year-old batter has shown positive progress, prioritizing his recovery will better prepare him for the England series.
“Kane is demonstrating encouraging signs, but he isn’t quite ready to travel,” said Stead. “While we see potential for improvement, the best strategy is for him to remain in New Zealand and complete the final stages of his rehabilitation, ensuring he is fully fit for the England Test.”
The New Zealand team has already clinched the series by winning the first two Tests at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru and MCA Stadium in Pune, achieving victories by 8 wickets and 113 runs, respectively. They now aim to become the first team in 24 years to achieve a clean sweep against India in a Test series held in India.
In their last Test encounter at Wankhede Stadium in December 2021, Kiwi spinner Ajaz Patel made history by taking all 10 wickets in India’s first innings, becoming only the third cricketer to accomplish this. However, India won that match by a significant margin of 372 runs.
