Author – Ishika Aggarwal
New Zealand’s pace sensation Ben Sears has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match Test series against India due to a knee injury. Sears experienced stiffness in his left knee during the recent tour of Sri Lanka, which raised concerns among the team’s medical staff.
Following a series of scans conducted by the New Zealand cricket board, it was revealed that Sears has suffered a meniscus tear in his knee. Despite the team’s efforts to get him fit in time, Sears remains unavailable for the series, leaving a significant gap in the Blackcaps’ bowling lineup.
‘We’re obviously disappointed for Ben Sears’ – Gary Stead
Reflecting on the unfortunate development, New Zealand head coach Gary Stead expressed his disappointment over Sears’ absence while maintaining a hopeful outlook regarding his recovery.
“We’re obviously disappointed for Ben who made a strong start to his Test career during the home summer and offers a genuine pace option. It remains to be seen how long we’ll be without him, but we’re hopeful his road to a full recovery will be a short one,” Stead said in a statement.
The coach also announced Jacob Duffy as Sears’ replacement for the Test series against India. Duffy, who has yet to make his Test debut for New Zealand, has been a prominent performer in the domestic circuit with 299 first-class wickets for Otago.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for Jacob who has been around the squad before. With three Tests ahead of us, he has every chance of making his Test debut. Jacob’s recent experience playing for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship certainly pushed his place. His performances in white-ball cricket for the BLACKCAPS have always been impressive, and we’re confident he’ll be able to contribute if called upon,” Stead added.
The first Test between India and New Zealand is set to take place at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru starting October 16.
New Zealand Test squad vs India
Tom Latham (capt), Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell (1st Test only), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi (2nd and 3rd Test only), Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Will Young.
Tags – IND vs NZ, India Tests, Ben Sears, Gary Stead
