Mount Maunganui, 19 December (H.S.): West Indies senior pacer Kemar Roach was ruled out of Friday's second-day play in the ongoing Test against New Zealand, exacerbating the visitors' mounting injury woes in a series where they trail 0-1.

Injury Strikes Mid-Spell: 89th Over Exit Seals Fate

Roach felt hamstring tightness while bowling the 89th over on Thursday—West Indies' lone wicket of the day—completing it before limping off; absent from Friday's warm-up, broadcasters confirmed his unavailability, though recovery timeline remains unclear.

Wicketkeeper Shai Hope also stayed hotel-bound due to illness, compounding pressures as Devon Conway eyes a double-century in New Zealand's first innings.

Pace Resources Stretch Thin: Seales Bears BruntWith Roach sidelined, Jayden Seales—five wickets across five innings this tour—leads the attack alongside Anderson Phillip and Justin Greaves, while Ojay Shields and Teague Narine Chandrapaul nurse minor niggles.

Greaves' second-session withdrawal prompted local player Sebastian Heath as substitute fielder for West Indies.

Mutual Misfortune: Kiwis Also Battle Bowling Blues

New Zealand endured Christchurch Test injuries to Matt Henry and Nathan Smith—yielding a gritty West Indies draw—plus Blair Tickner's limited second-Test role; Tom Blundell recovered from Day 1 hamstring strain for the third match.

West Indies have lost six of seven Tests in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle; New Zealand opened the new cycle with a win and draw in this three-match series.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar