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New Zealand captain and batting mainstay Kane Williamson confirmed Thursday he’ll play within the second Test in opposition to the West Indies in Wellington regardless of the upcoming arrival of his first baby. Williamson had the Black Caps sweating on his availability for the beginning of the match Friday after leaving the squad to take a 500-kilometre journey house to Tauranga to be along with his spouse. He had beforehand stated the newborn was due “mid-to-late December”. Cricket doesn’t enable for substitutions if he needed to depart in the course of the Test. New Zealand coach Gary Stead stated Williamson, who had been given till the tip of the day to decide, had confirmed mid-afternoon he was “confident” of taking his place within the facet.
Williamson, ranked the second-best batsman on the planet behind Australian Steve Smith and equal with India’s Virat Kohli, supplied the spine of New Zealand’s complete innings victory within the first Test with an epic career-best 251.
Stead stated there had been no strain on Williamson to play as New Zealand look to increase their 14-Test house unbeaten streak.
“We want to support Kane and Sarah in the decision they come to, and whatever way he chooses to go we will support him in that,” Stead stated shortly earlier than Williamson confirmed he would play.
“They’re the two sitting there with the decision in front of them.”
Stead stated the one difficulty nonetheless to be resolved was whether or not to exchange all-rounder Daryl Mitchell with spinner Mitchell Santner in an in any other case unchanged facet.
The West Indies named Joshua da Silva to make his debut, changing injured wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, however delayed confirming the remainder of their line-up till seeing the pitch within the morning.
There can be a minimum of yet one more change with tempo bowler Kemar Roach having returned house following the loss of life of his father.
Strong wind gusts as much as 120 kilometres per hour (75mph) are forecast for the opening day which might make life troublesome for bowlers who, on the plus facet, may count on one other typical New Zealand inexperienced wicket.
“You’ve just got to keep your head down a little longer and try to push through the wind,” stated West Indies captain Jason Holder, who described the wicket as having “just as much grass if not more” than the emerald Hamilton floor.
Holder stated it was necessary for his facet to make amends for his or her poor displaying in Hamilton.
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“We let ourselves down in the first Test match but we have to keep going,” he stated, however he didn’t consider the efficiency was as unhealthy because the consequence made it appear.
“You look at the ability and what this team can produce, it’s there. We’ve done it before.”
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