New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is returning to the national side for the final game of the home ODI series against India. He has been declared fit for this game.
While New Zealand are playing the three-match home ODI series against India, skipper Williamson missed out the first two ODIs of this series. During the earlier home five-match T20I series against India, Williamson received an injury on his left shoulder in the third game.
After missing out the last two T20Is of that series, that injury forced him to miss out the first two ODI of the ongoing series.
On Tuesday (11th February), New Zealand and India will play the third and final ODI of the series at Bay Oval (Mount Maunganui). Before this game, the Black Caps have announced that Williamson is fit for the upcoming match.
Stand-in head coach Shane Jurgensen told the media, “He (Kane Williamson) certainly had a full workout and all is on track for tomorrow. He’s looking good to be ready to play. We’ll have one final look at him in the morning and make sure nothing happens overnight.”
Tom Latham led the team superbly in the absence of Kane Williamson:
However, the hosts have already secured this ODI series as they are leading it by the 2-0 margin before the last ODI.
They won the first game of this ODI series at Hamilton by four wickets after successfully chasing their record ODI target (348/6).
In the next game at Auckland, New Zealand defended their first innings total of 273/8 (50 overs) as they bowled out the visitors for 251 runs (won by 22 runs).
In both those matches, Tom Latham led the hosts, and he controlled the game very well.
On the other hand, the leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and the right-arm pacer Blair Tickner have been added in the New Zealand ODI squad for the last game.
As some Kiwi players are ill at the present moment, the board has taken this decision. While Sodhi and Tickner both were playing in the unofficial Test series for New Zealand A against India A, they missed the fourth and final day of this game due to the ODI call-up.
Sodhi played the first ODI of the ongoing series against India as he was initially selected only for that ODI. Blair Tickner, who has played five T20Is, is still waiting for his ODI debut.