IND vs NZ 2021: Kane Williamson Ruled Out Of 2nd Test In Mumbai With Elbow Injury, Tom Latham To Lead NZ

Regular New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will be sitting out of the second Test against India set to start today in Mumbai. The Kiwi skipper has had constant issues with his elbow which the management doesn’t want to aggravate.

In Williamson’s stead, opener, Tom Latham, is set to don the captaincy hat. Latham and Williamson were seen having a conversation just a few minutes before the expected toss time and only the former was seen wearing the whites.

The toss in the third Test has been delayed due to a wet outfield. Latham and Virat Kohli were seen having a chat with the umpires regarding the same.

Here’s what coach Gary Stead said about Kane Williamson’s injury:

“It’s been a really tough time for Kane having to deal with such a persistent injury. While we’ve been able to manage the injury through the year and the T20 World Cup, the shift to Test cricket and the increased batting loading has re-aggravated his elbow. Ultimately the injury is still not right and while he got through the Kanpur Test, it was clear playing in the second Test wasn’t an option.“

“We all know how much he loves playing and leading this team, particularly in Test cricket, so it’s a very difficult decision to sit out. It’s been a challenging year for Kane trying to manage his elbow and it’s important we now formulate a good plan with him to ensure the injury does not continue to plague him. He will likely require a sustained period of rest followed by rehabilitation, strengthening and gradual batting loading,” Stead mentioned.

Team News | BLACKCAPS captain Kane Williamson will miss the second and final Test against India in Mumbai as he continues to battle the left-elbow injury which has troubled him for much of 2021. More | https://t.co/VClIKxKI8Q #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/wGeA46LN4g

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 3, 2021

This isn’t the first time that Williamson has had his elbow trouble keep him out of matches. The Kiwi skipper opted to rest for the T20I series in order to keep himself fully fit for the 2-match Test series but the nature of the elbow injury will now keep him out of the Mumbai Test.

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