New Zealand have announced a 15-member squad for the inaugural World Test Championship final against India, starting from June 18 in Southampton. While Doug Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra and Mitchell Santner have been left out, Ajaz Patel has been added as the specialist spinner alongside Devon Conway.
Conway has already impressed with his performance against England. He smashed 200 on his debut at Lord’s and then scored 80 in the first innings of the second Test at Edgbaston as well and also sealed his place in the squad. Recently, the Kiwis have sealed the series 1-0 against the host where Ajaz Patel claimed four wickets alongside pacers – Matt Henry, Tent Boult and Neil Wagner who all dominated the game.
“There’s had to be some tough calls with Mitchell and Daryl victims of the fierce competition we currently have for places in the Test side,” head coach Gary Stead said. “We’ve gone with Ajaz as our specialist spinner after an impressive outing at Edgbaston and we believe he could be a factor at the Ageas Bowl.”
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“Colin’s been an integral member of our Test set-up for many years and it was great to see him return at Lord’s after a long injury lay-off. He’s a proven performer at the top level and we back him to do a job with the bat or the ball if called upon. Kane and BJ have certainly benefited from their week of rest and rehabilitation and we expect them to be fit and available for the final.
Playing in a World Cup Final is a really special occasion and I know the guys are looking forward to getting into their work here in Southampton. India are a world-class outfit who possess match winners all through their line-up, so we’re under no illusion about how tough they will be to beat,” further added Stead.
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It will be interesting to see which team will have the last laugh in the much-awaited WTC final.
New Zealand Squad:
Kane Williamson (C), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Will Young
