Injury crisis: New Zealand suffer fifth blow ahead of 1st ODI vs India

New Zealand’s preparations for the five-match ODI series against India have taken another hit, with opener Devon Conway ruled out of the series opener on Wednesday after suffering concussion in training in Auckland. Conway is the fifth New Zealand player to be sidelined with injury ahead of the series, adding to an already long list of absentees.

Conway suffered the injury after colliding with fast bowler Matt Henry during Tuesday’s game at Eden Park. Both players were evaluated for head injuries, but while Henry appeared fine, Conway was taken to hospital for further evaluation. New Zealand Cricket later confirmed that the opener had suffered concussion and would miss the first ODI.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner described the incident as an unfortunate accident, with the team now likely to turn to Tim Seifert as Conway’s replacement at the top of the order.

“Not yet. I think Matt’s got a concussion. He seems fine, but Dev was taken off the premises. So yeah, the collision didn’t really look too good,” Santner told reporters.

Conway’s absence is the latest setback for New Zealand, who will also be without Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra for the entire ODI series. The pair were ruled out on Monday, with Chapman continuing his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury and Ravindra needing more time to recover from a shoulder problem.

The Black Caps were already without fast bowlers Zak Foulkes and Will O’Rourke, who were not selected as they continued their respective rehabilitation programmes.

NEW ZEALAND INJURY LIST

Devon Conway: Suffered concussion after colliding with Matt Henry during training at Eden Park. He misses his first ODI.

Rachin Ravindra: He is recovering from a dislocated right shoulder sustained during a promotional shoot. His arm needs more time before it can deploy to full capacity.

Mark Chapman: Rehabilitation of a left hamstring injury sustained during his stint in the European T20 Premier League. A recent MRI showed he needed two more weeks to recover.

Zak Foulkes: He is recovering from a hip flexor injury sustained during training at Canterbury.

Will O’Rourke: Copes with left hamstring and calf injuries. He tore his hamstring during the third Test against England in June before straining his calf in training in August.

Injury concerns have also affected New Zealand’s bowling options. Matt Henry, who clashed with Conway on Tuesday, is still being assessed for his fitness to play after tearing the muscle during the T20I series against India.

New Zealand made changes to the lineup to cover the absences. Seifert, who was initially picked only for the last two ODIs, was added for the entire series. Henry Nicholls has been brought in for the first three games, while Dean Foxcroft will join the squad for the last two.

The five-match ODI series begins in Auckland on Wednesday, November 4 following India’s 3-2 win in the T20I leg. New Zealand have recovered from a 0-3 deficit to win the last two T20Is and will be hoping to carry that momentum into the 50-over competition, despite growing injury concerns.

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