Wellington. The New Zealand cricket team has suffered another major setback before the second Test against West Indies. Wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Blundell has been ruled out of the second Test with a hamstring injury. Blundell suffered this injury while batting during the first Test played in Christchurch last week.
After Blundell’s exclusion, the Test debut of 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Mitchell Hay is considered certain. Hay will make his Test debut for New Zealand in the second Test starting at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday (December 10).
Earlier, New Zealand had to face injuries to three more players simultaneously. Fast bowlers Matt Henry (calf injury), Nathan Smith (side injury) and all-rounder Mitchell Santner (groin injury) have been ruled out of the remaining matches of the series. In their place, New Zealand Cricket has included all-rounder Christian Clarke and fast bowler Michael Ray in the team.
Mitchell Hay has so far played 19 international matches in white-ball cricket for New Zealand, which includes 12 T20s and 7 ODIs. In 29 matches played for Canterbury in first class cricket, he has scored 1895 runs at an excellent average of 48.58. During this period, he also has 17 half-centuries and one century of 146 runs in his name.
On the other hand, Kyle Jamieson is working with the team’s support staff as part of his plan to return to red-ball cricket and recently played for Canterbury against the Central Stags in the Plunket Shield. At the same time, Glenn Phillips, who has recovered from groin strain, scored 130 runs and took 9 wickets in the first two matches of the competition for Otago. Phillips has been included in the 14-man squad selected for the second Test.
Regarding Mitchell Hay and the new bowlers, head coach Rob Walter said in a statement, “Mitch is a young player who has already made a good debut in white-ball cricket. He also has an excellent first class record for Canterbury. His arrival in the Test team is a special moment in his career and we are very excited to see him play.”
Talking about Christian Clarke and Michael Ray, Walter said, “Both players have been in our sights for a long time and have been performing consistently in domestic cricket. Clarke has taken 79 wickets in 28 matches for Northern Districts, while Michael Ray has 208 wickets in 70 matches in first-class cricket. Both have excellent skills for red-ball cricket and this is a great opportunity for them to prove themselves at the highest level.”
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