New Zealand have lost their wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell for the rest of the ongoing Test series opener against the West Indies in Christchurch, and the 35-year-old has also been ruled out of the second game in Wellington next week after scans revealed a tear to his right hamstring. Blundell had injured his hamstring while batting on Day 1 of the first Test and didn't take the field on the second day, with skipper Tom Latham taking the gloves.
"Tom Blundell sustained a tear to his right hamstring while batting on Day One of the first Test against the West Indies at Hagley Oval," an NZC statement before the start of the third day's play read. "Blundell has been subsequently ruled out of the second Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, starting 10 December.
"Mitchell Hay has been called into the squad, and will join the Black Caps in Wellington on Sunday, 7 December," the NZC statement further read.
Hay, who has represented the Kiwis in seven ODIs and 12 T20Is in the last 12 months or so, could potentially be up for a Test debut unless Daryl Mitchell is fit and available and New Zealand move Will Young up and move Latham down to accommodate Blundell's absence.
The second Test match is nicely poised with New Zealand dictating terms in the final session on Day 2 at the Hagley Oval. The West Indies collapsed from 100/2 to 167 all out, with Jacob Duffy, who is in the form of his life across formats for New Zealand, picking up his maiden fifer in just his second Test. Apart from Shai Hope, no other Windies batter offered much resistance and New Zealand were able to secure a 64-run first-innings lead.
New Zealand openers Latham and Devon Conway stretched the lead to 96 by the end of the second day's play and the visitors now really have their backs against the wall. On a seamer-friendly surface like that, the West Indies wouldn't want to chase anything more than 250 in the fourth innings as the Kiwis look good to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
