Devon Conway ruled out of 3rd T20I against Australia due to thumb injury

New Zealand will be without Devon Conway for the third and final T20I of the ongoing three-match series against Australia. The opening batsman has been withdrawn from the game due to a thumb injury.

He sustained the injury while wicketkeeping during the second T20I in Auckland on Friday (February 23). After Adam Milne bowled a wide delivery down the leg side in the second over of the game, the ball rose sharply and Devon Conway caught it awkwardly.

While he did not look in pain straightaway, he did call the physio for treatment and decided to walk off the field. In his absence, Finn Allen kept the wickets. While it was expected that he would be available for batting, he did not take any further part in the do-or-die clash for the Black Caps.

New Zealand Cricket later gave an update on the batsman, saying that he had to leave the stadium for scans after suffering an injury in his left thumb. He will now return home to Wellington to consult a hand specialist to ascertain the extent of the injury to his left thumb.

UPDATE | Devon Conway has left Eden Park to undergo an X-ray on his injured left thumb after sustaining a blow while wicket-keeping in tonight’s second T20I.

A further update will be provided once more information is known. #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/zvM6kjDwbs

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) February 23, 2024

Devon Conway’s replacement:

With Devon Conway sidelined New Zealand have called up Tim Seifert for the third T20I. Seifert was previously sidelined with a torn abductor before passing a fitness test in Hamilton on Saturday (February 24). He will link up with the New Zealand squad ahead of the third T20I, scheduled to take place on Sunday in Auckland.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead has also confirmed that pacer Jacob Duffy would also join the T20 squad as cover for the bowling group. He also gave an update on Rachin Ravindra who missed the second game due to a knee injury he sustained in the series-opener. The Kiwi coach stated that the batter’s injury would be monitored over the next 24 hours before a decision was made on his availability for the upcoming game.