IND vs NZ | Need one more look at surface before picking final XI, admits Kane Williamson
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New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has said that he will make a final inspection of the surface at the Basin Reserve, the venue for the first of two Tests against India, before confirming his side. Williamson also confirmed that Kyle Jamieson will be set to make his debut Neil Wagner’s absence.
So far, India’s tour of New Zealand has been a seesaw ride of whitewashes. India hammered the hosts 5-0 in the T20s before the Kiwis bounced back and crushed the Indians 3-0 in the ODIs. What remains is a stand-off, in the traditional format, between a side (India) that has whitewashed its last three opponents and the other (New Zealand) coming off a whitewashing at the hands of their neighbours. The first of the two encounters is set to get underway at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, but the Black Caps are yet to make a final call on their playing XI.
“We just want to have another look at this surface. It’s got a different look to what we’re used to seeing here at the Basin,” Williamson told Reuters.
With Wagner being withdrawn from the squad as he awaits the birth of his first child, the 2.03m tall Jamieson is in line to join the experienced duo of Trent Boult and Tim Southee. Matt Henry has been drafted into the 13-man squad as cover, but Williamson admitted that neither would find it easy to fill Wagner’s shoes.
“You don’t replace a guy like Neil. The qualities that he brings are quite unique but you then bring in a guy who targets slightly different areas, coming from a slightly different height as well,” Williamson added.
With Mitchell Santner — a potential option in the all-rounder — being dropped, the fight for the remaining two slots is likely to be between all-rounders Colin de Grandhomme and Daryl Mitchell, and left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel. However, Colin de Grandhomme's poor series against Australia earlier will play a role in the selector's mind when they are picking the player for the all-rounder spot, with Ajaz Patel the front-runner.
