AUS vs NZ | Jeet Raval axed for Boxing Day Test; Tom Blundell to open

New Zealand have swung the axe on opener Jeet Raval for the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) which will commence from December 26, replacing him with 29-year-old Tom Blundell at the top of the order. Blundell was originally picked in the squad as a backup wicket-keeper, but Raval's forgettable showing in the Perth Test, where he posted scores of 1 and 1 and looked like a dead duck against Starc has forced the Kiwi selectors to think out of the box and hand an opportunity to Blundell up top.

"I feel like I can do a good job wherever. This game I've been given the opportunity to open, so I'm really looking forward to Boxing Day," Blundell was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. 

The 29-year-old made his Test debut against West Indies in Hamilton in 2017 and incidentally scored an unbeaten ton on debut. However, then, Blundell batted at No.8 and in his 55-match first-class career, never once has he opened the batting. However, the Wellington-born wicket-keeper was confident of putting up a good showing at the G and revealed that his plan would be to go aggressive after weathering the initial storm.

"I'll probably try to still bat the same. It's just the first 30 balls I'll just have to be a bit more patient outside the off-stump, and if I can last those 30 balls, then hopefully, I can bat a bit more positively."