New Zealand have suffered a double blow ahead of their ODI series against India, with Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra ruled out due to injuries. Tim Seifert, Henry Nicholls and Dean Foxcroft have been drafted into the squad.Rachin Ravindra will not be taking part in the upcoming ODI series against India.
New Zealand have suffered a double injury blow ahead of their five-match ODI series against India, with senior batters Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra ruled out after failing to recover in time from their respective injuries.New Zealand Cricket confirmed on Monday that Chapman needs more time to recover from a hamstring injury, while Ravindra continues to struggle with a shoulder problem. The five-match series against India begins on Wednesday, leaving the hosts with two significant gaps in their batting line-up.Chapman's latest MRI scan revealed that his left hamstring would require another two weeks of rehabilitation before he could return to action.
Ravindra, meanwhile, has not recovered sufficiently from his right shoulder niggle to field at full capacity."A recent MRI showed Chapman's left hamstring requires another two weeks of rehabilitation before he is fully fit to return to the field, whilst Ravindra's right shoulder requires more recovery time before he's able to field at full capacity," NZC said in a statement. The selectors have made several changes to the squad to cover for the absentees.
Tim Seifert, who was initially picked only for the fourth and fifth ODIs, has now been included for the entire series. Henry Nicholls will be part of the squad for the first three matches, while Dean Foxcroft has been pencilled in for the final two games.There is also uncertainty surrounding the availability of Matt Henry.
The fast bowler is expected to join the squad on Monday, after which the team management will assess his readiness to play. Matt Fisher, initially selected for the fourth and fifth ODIs, will remain with the squad throughout the series as an additional bowling option.WALTER EXPLAINS INJURY CONCERNS New Zealand head coach Rob Walter admitted that losing Chapman and Ravindra was disappointing but stressed that the team would not take unnecessary risks with either player.Walter said Chapman was working hard on his recovery, while Ravindra's shoulder problem had not improved enough for him to comfortably handle the demands of white-ball cricket."I caught up with Mark last week and although he's disappointed he's working hard to get back on the field.
With Rachin, his shoulder hasn't quite recovered to a position where he could field comfortably in white-ball cricket, so with the Test series later this month we don't want to take any undue risks," Walter said.The coach was also pleased with the additions to the squad, pointing to Nicholls' familiarity with the side and Foxcroft's recent ODI experience against the West Indies."We're pleased to bring in Henry who is no stranger to this side, and Dean who recently featured in the ODIs against the West Indies," he added.New Zealand will now have to reassess their batting combinations as they prepare to take on India, with the absence of two experienced players adding to the challenge ahead of the opening ODI on Wednesday.- Ends