WELLINGTON, 9 December (H.S.): New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell has been ruled out of the second Test against the West Indies due to a hamstring injury sustained during the first match in Christchurch last week.The 34-year-old suffered the injury while batting and will miss the next encounter at Basin Reserve, starting Wednesday, December 10. His absence opens the door for 25-year-old Mitchell Hay, who is all set to make his Test debut for New Zealand.

Earlier, New Zealand had already been hit by a string of injuries, with fast bowlers Matt Henry (calf injury), Nathan Smith (side strain), and all-rounder Mitchell Santner (groin injury) all ruled out for the remainder of the series. In their place, all-rounder Kristian Clarke and pace bowler Michael Rae have been added to the squad.

Hay, who has represented New Zealand in 19 white-ball internationals—including 12 T20Is and 7 ODIs—has an impressive first-class record for Canterbury. In 29 matches, he has scored 1,895 runs at an average of 48.58, featuring 17 half-centuries and a top score of 146.

Meanwhile, Kyle Jamieson continues to work with team support staff as part of his red-ball comeback and recently played for Canterbury in a Plunket Shield match against Central Stags. Glenn Phillips, who has recovered from a groin strain, also returns after making 130 runs and claiming 9 wickets in two matches for Otago. He has earned a place in the 14-member squad for the second Test.

Head coach Rob Walter expressed confidence in the newcomers, saying, “Mitch is a talented young player who has already proven his worth in white-ball cricket. His consistent performances for Canterbury in the first-class arena have been outstanding.

This is a special moment in his career, and we’re excited to see him take the field in Test cricket.”Speaking about Clarke and Rae, Walter added, “Both have been on our radar for quite some time and have performed consistently in domestic cricket.

Clarke has taken 79 wickets in 28 matches for Northern Districts, while Rae boasts 208 wickets in 70 first-class games. They possess exceptional red-ball skills, and this series gives them a fantastic opportunity to prove themselves at the international level.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar