New Zealand opener Devon Conway is set to undergo a fitness test on his injured thumb ahead of the first Test against Australia in Wellington. Conway sustained the injury while wicketkeeping in the second T20I against Australia in Auckland last Friday. Although initial scans cleared him of a fracture, he has not trained since the blow and will undergo further scans before a final decision is made on his availability for the Test starting Thursday.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead confirmed that Conway would not participate in training on Tuesday and that a decision would be made on Wednesday regarding his participation in the Test. “We’re still investigating Devon’s thumb at the moment,” Stead said. “He’s seeing a number of specialists, and we are hoping that we can make a call tomorrow morning around where that sits.”
Stead also confirmed that Rachin Ravindra would be fit to play after being sidelined for the last two T20Is against Australia due to knee soreness. Daryl Mitchell, who missed the second Test against South Africa and the entire T20I series against Australia due to an ongoing heel issue, is also fit to play and is expected to slot back into the middle order.
Neil Wagner, who announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday after being left out of the squad for the two Tests against Australia, will be replaced by Mitchell Santner, who is likely to reclaim his spot in the XI.
Reflecting on the upcoming series against Australia, Stead highlighted the challenge of facing the world Test champions but also saw it as an opportunity for New Zealand to improve their record against their trans-Tasman rivals. “They always set the benchmark, and they are current world Test champions for a reason,” Stead said. “But that’s our opportunity. And that’s for us to go out and I guess show our wares, and we’re certainly looking forward to the challenge that is ahead.”
New Zealand have not beaten Australia in a Test at home since 1993 and have not beaten them anywhere since 2011. However, Stead expressed confidence in his team’s ability to compete and is looking forward to the challenge posed by the visiting Australian side.
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