New Zealand will continue to be without their former captain Kane Williamson in the ongoing Test series against India. After sitting out the initial Test in Bengaluru, Williamson was also ruled out of the second Test match to be played in Pune.

After suffering a groin strain during the Sri Lanka Test series, which ruled him out of the first Test, New Zealand head coach Gary Stead stressed that they do not want to rush their main batsman back into action. .

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“We are monitoring Kane and he is going in the right direction, but he is not 100% fit yet,” said New Zealand coach Gary Stead.

“We are hopeful to see more improvements in the coming days and have it available for the third test. “We will give him as much time as possible to prepare, but we will certainly remain cautious,” he added.

New Zealand won the first Test by 8 wickets

Missing Kane Williamson is a setback for New Zealand but it hasn’t hurt them much so far as they won the first Test in Bengaluru by 8 wickets. This victory was emotional because it was his first Test victory in India in 36 years. In Williamson’s absence, Will Young batted at number 3, scoring 33 in the first innings and a crucial unbeaten 48 in the second innings to help New Zealand win.

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The key to this historic victory, which was only India’s third, was the performance of pacers Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke, who took nine wickets to bowl out India for just 46 in the first innings, their lowest total in home. . Rachin Ravindra also played an important role in scoring his first Test century in India, giving New Zealand a big lead in the first innings.

Although India made a strong comeback with great performances from Sarfaraz Khan (150), Rishabh Pant (99) and Virat Kohli (70), New Zealand stayed focused and secured victory chasing the target of 107.

The second Test match in Pune will begin on October 24, and New Zealand will be looking for a win to seal the series and achieve the unthinkable, as India have not lost a series at home since 2012.

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