The second match of the Test series between India and New Zealand will be played in Pune. Before the second match, the New Zealand team suffered a major setback. The team's veteran batsman Kane Williamson will not be able to play in this match as well. He is still recovering from his groin injury. Williamson was injured during the recent Sri Lanka Test series. The team was hoping that he would be fully fit before the second match. But this could not happen and now he will stay in New Zealand to work on his fitness.
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said that Williamson is currently doing rehab. His injury has healed to a great extent, but he is not yet ready to return to Test cricket. Stead does not want to rush Williamson. He has said that he will give him enough time for recovery and preparation. Stead has expressed hope for Williamson's return in the third Test.
The second Test between India and New Zealand will be played from Thursday 24 to 28 October. In such a situation, the management was hoping that Kane Williamson, one of the senior players of the team, would recover from his groin injury. But this could not happen. This is a big setback for New Zealand. They had a chance to win the series for the first time in India by defeating Team India for the second consecutive match. With Williamson, the team would have benefited from his experience. But this task may be difficult in his absence.
Williamson's record in Asia is excellent. He plays spin very well, so his record in Asia is very good. He has scored runs in 24 Test matches at an average of 48.85. This does not include the 647 runs he scored in the UAE at an average of 64.70. However, his record in India has not been very good. He has scored runs in 8 Test matches played in India at an average of 33.53.
Team India is looking for a way to bounce back after the defeat in Bangalore. For this, the team has now decided to prepare a spin-friendly pitch in Pune. According to ESPNcricinfo's report, the pitch in Pune will be dry and there will be less bounce here. Like Bangalore, in this match too, Team India will play with three spinners.
