Kane Williamson will miss the India vs New Zealand 3rd Test as well. The Kiwi great has been suffering from a groin injury that kept him out of the first two Tests in Bengaluru and Pune. There was hope that he’d recover with a 5-day gap, but New Zealand feel it’s too risky to play him in Mumbai with the home Test series against England coming up later this month.
Kane Williamson heads back home
The former New Zealand skipper was expected to play a vital role if the visitors were to win, but since victory has been attained despite his absence, the purpose of playing injury-prone Kane seems far too dangerous. The Fab 4 member won’t join his side in Mumbai and is expected to fly back home to continue his rehab. “Kane continues to show good signs, but isn’t quite ready to jump on a plane and join us,” said New Zealand head coach Gary Stead.
Keeping WTC Final in mind
New Zealand are set to host England for a 3-match series starting November 28 at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch. Now, while it’s a long shot, Kiwis still have a chance to make the World Test Championship (WTC) Final. They have four Test matches left in the ongoing 2023-25 cycle and need to win each one of them to have a chance to play the red-ball ICC final.
Risking an injury to Williamson to ensure they win in Mumbai might be too big a risk. Therefore, keeping him fit and ready for England Tests is the right option, and that’s what Tom Latham and Stead have gone with.
“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 series is still a month away, so taking the cautious approach now will ensure he is ready for the first Test in Christchurch,” Stead added.
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