New Zealand opener Devon Conway will miss the first Test against Australia due to an ongoing recovery from a thumb injury. The left-handed batsman sustained the injury while wicketkeeping in the recently concluded T20I series. Conway did not bat in the second T20I and was ruled out of the series finale as well.
Devon Conway was in a race against time to recover for the red-ball fixture but he is likely to miss the first Test after further scans in Wellington on Tuesday, February 27, revealed some damage to his left thumb. Initial scans right after the injury had ruled out any fractures or major issues with his thumb.
According to a statement from New Zealand Cricket, further diagnosis will be conducted to determine the full extent of the injury. An update will be provided soon to determine whether Conway will be available for selection in the playing XI for the second Test or not.
“It’s disappointing for Devon to be ruled out on the eve of an important match. He’s a class player batting at the top of the order for us and I know he was really looking forward to this series,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said ahead of the first Test against Australia.
New Zealand Cricket has included Henry Nicholls in the squad for the first Test as a replacement for the injured Devon Conway.
“It’s nice to have a player of Henry’s caliber to call on. He has plenty of Test experience and covers a number of positions in our batting order,” Stead added.
New Zealand will have both Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell available for the upcoming series.
