Thu Oct 17 01:24:16 UTC 2024: ## New Zealand Suffer Another Blow Ahead of India Test Series
New Zealand’s hopes for a successful tour of India have taken another hit with fast bowler Ben Sears ruled out of the three-match Test series due to a knee injury. This comes on top of the news that former captain Kane Williamson will miss at least the first Test.
Sears, who impressed during the recent home summer, sustained a meniscus tear during a training session and will be sidelined for an extended period. To fill the void, uncapped pace bowler Jacob Duffy has been called up and will join the team in India on Wednesday.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead expressed his disappointment over Sears’ injury but remained optimistic about Duffy’s potential. “We’re hopeful his road to a full recovery will be a short one,” said Stead. “It’s an exciting opportunity for Jacob who has been around the Test squad before. With three Tests ahead of us, he has every chance of making his Test debut.”
The first Test of the series is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, October 16th in Bengaluru, with the remaining matches taking place in Pune and Mumbai.
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