IND vs NZ: Kane Williamson to miss Mumbai Test match; hopes to be ready for England series

Hyderabad: Former New Zealand captain will continue to miss the Test series against India after the batter has not completely recovered from a groin injury.

Williamson was not a part of the first two Test matches – in Bengaluru and Pune – and will not also miss the third Test match commencing at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 1.

New Zealand won the Test matches in Bengaluru and Pune to become the first New Zealand team to win a Test series in India. The win also meant India lost their first Test series at home in more than a decade.

New Zealand Cricket, in a media release, said Williamson, who sustained the groin injury during New Zealand’s recent tour of Sri Lanka, is not yet ready to take on the grind of international cricket yet as he has not fully recovered from the injury.

Williamson did not travel with the team to India and stayed back in New Zealand to focus on his rehabilitation.

“Kane (Williamson) continues to show good signs, but isn’t quite ready to jump on a plane and join us,” New Zealand’s head coach Gary Stead said.

The coach said the best for Williamson now is to stay at home and focus on the upcoming England series. “While things are looking promising, we think the best course of action is for him to stay in New Zealand and focus on the final part of his rehabilitation so he’ll be good to go for England. The England series is still a month away so taking the cautious approach now will ensure he is ready for the first Test in Christchurch,” Stead hoped.

England will travel to New Zealand to play three Test matches at the end of November. The first Test will be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch from November 28, 2024.

The second and third Test matches will be played in Wellington and Hamilton in the month of December 2024.