Big blow to New Zealand! Devon Conway ruled out from the first NZ vs AUS Test match

New Zealand opener Devon Conway has been ruled out from the first Test of the two-match Test series against Australia starting from Thursday, February 29. Conway sustained a thumb injury during the second T20I match played on February 23 while doing wicketkeeping and is still nursing his injury. Left-handed batsman Henry Nicholls has been announced as a replacement for Conway for the upcoming Test series against the Aussies.

Devon Conway didn’t come out to bat and keep wickets after sustaining the injury, which ruled him out from the remaining of the second T20I and later the third T20I match. The initial scans didn’t show any results of fracture but later it was found that the Kiwi opener had injured his thumb. The left-handed wicket-keeper batter will undergo a medical assessment during the week to determine proper treatment and his recovery period.

New Zealand head coach Gary Stead was left disappointed after Devon Conway got ruled from the first NZ vs AUS Test match. Speaking to the media, Stead stated that Conway is a class player and it is very disappointing that he ruled out on the eve of an important match.

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Devon Conway ruled out from the first NZ vs AUS Test match

Gary Stead said, “It’s disappointing for Devon to be ruled out on the eve of an important match. He’s a class player batting at the top of the order for us and I know he was really looking forward to this series.”

Devon Conway is very important for the Kiwi team as he is one of those batsmen who plays one of the best technical and coaching book shots. Conway scored a double hundred on his Test debut against England and since then has become a permanent member of the Blackcaps. The Kiwi management would want Conway to regain fitness ahead of the second Test which is set to start in Christchurch from March 8.

Apart from Devon Conway, the Kiwis were dented with another blow when another opener Rachin Ravindra sat out from the third T20I match due to a knee injury. However, Gary Stead has confirmed that the young all-rounder has regained fitness and will be taking the field against the Aussies at Basin Reserve.

New Zealand were hit by a huge blow when they witnessed a 3-0 whitewash against Australia in the T20I series. The Aussies were on top of their game in every match and never really moment to the Kiwis, in which they could come back in the game and win the contest.

The Kiwis have never defeated Australia in a Test match since 2011. New Zealand, who won the World Test Championship title in 2021, would look forward to continuing the performance they showed against South Africa in the last Test series. The Blackcaps were able to win the series by 2-0 and defeated South Africa single-handedly in both games.

However, Australia cannot be taken lightly as far as their recent Test record is concerned. The Aussies, who are the current World Test Champions, whitewashed Pakistan at home by 3-0 whereas drew the Ashes series against England by 2-2 and retained the Ashes.

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