Devon Conway ruled out of 1st Test against Australia due to injury; Henry Nicholls named replacement

New Zealand opener Devon Conway will not partake in the opening Test against Australia as he is yet to recover from the thumb injury he sustained during the recently concluded T20I series. The left-handed batter did not bat in the second T20I after he suffered the injury while wicketkeeping in Auckland, and was subsequently ruled out of the third and final T20I against the Aussies.

He was in a rush against time to be fit for the Test series but is set to miss out on the first one after additional scans in Wellington on Tuesday, February 27, showed some damage to his left thumb. Initial scans right after the injury ruled him out of fracture or any other major issues to his thumb.

According to a statement by New Zealand Cricket, there will be further diagnosis to determine the full extent of the injury, and an update will be provided soon which will determine whether Conway can make it to the playing XI for the second Test or not.

“It’s disappointing for Devon to be ruled out on the eve of an important match. He’s a class player batting at the top of the order for us and I know he was really looking forward to this series," New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said ahead of the first Test against Australia.

New Zealand Cricket has drafted Henry Nicholls into the side for the first Test following Conway's unavailability due to injury.

“It’s nice to have a player of Henry’s calibre to call on. He has plenty of Test experience and covers a number of positions in our batting order," Stead added.

New Zealand will have the services of Rachin Ravindra as well as Daryl Mitchell for the upcoming series. Ravindra had sustained an injury in the T20 series as well, but has recovered in time, hopeful of prolonging his purple patch in Tests on the back of a splendid double ton in the home series against South Africa.

All-rounder Daryl Mitchell, on the other hand, was rested from the Tests against South Africa as well as the T20Is against Australia due to a heel injury.

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Devon Conway averages 41.58 in Tests after 20 appearances

The left-handed batter did not have the best of home series against South Africa, scoring only 47 runs in four innings. Conway has never made a red-ball appearance against Australia so far in his career and could tick that particular goal off the list if he recovers in time for the second Test. Overall, Conway has played 20 Tests, scoring 1497 runs at an average of 41.58.

Conway also has the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) to look forward to with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in less than a month. The opening batter is a vital cog for the defending champions, forging an excellent partnership with Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top of the order.

The first Test between New Zealand and Australia is slated to begin on Thursday, February 29, at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. The second and final Test is scheduled to start on March 8 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.