6 days ago
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Hello and welcome to our coverage of the first T20 between Australia and New Zealand at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, where Mitch Marsh’s team will bowl first after winning the toss.
This game is part of the buildup to next year’s T20 World Cup in India, but there are some big names missing for both sides.
Australia lost Josh Inglis to a hamstring problem before the trip, then Glenn Maxwell with a broken arm after he was hit by a fiercely struck ball from Mitch Owen. The Black Caps are missing Rachin Ravindra after the left-hander suffered a nasty facial laceration after colliding with a boundary board during a training drill.
Glenn Maxwell is missing for Australia.Credit: Getty Images
Ravindra passed concussion tests but needed significant patch-up work.
“We’re all really disappointed for Rachin to be forced to miss the series,” New Zealand coach Rob Walter said. He sustained a major laceration to his upper lip and nose area which required specialist and intricate stitching and will take time to heal.
“Rachin is obviously an important player for us, but his health and wellbeing is our top priority, and so the decision was made to send him home to recover with an eye to being available for the England series in two weeks’ time.”
Jimmy Neesham, who played a starring role in the 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s, has replaced Ravindra in th squad. Some of the other missing Kiwis include Mitchell Santner (abdominal injury), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), Finn Allen (foot), Adam Milne (ankle), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring) and Kane Williamson (unavailable).
New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Devon Conway, Tim Robinson, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell (capt), Zak Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy
Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Matt Short, Tim David, Alex Carey, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Owen, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
