Trent Boult declared fit for Boxing Day Test, Tom Blundell set for return

Trent Boult, who had missed the first match of the ongoing Test series against Australia because of a rib injury, is fit again and available for selection.

The Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson confirmed in the pre-match press conference that the left-arm pacer will be included in the New Zealand XI for the Boxing Day Test match.

Boult will replace Lockie Ferguson who had sustained a calf injury in his debut Test match in Perth and could bowl only 11 overs in the game. The scans revealed that he had a calf muscle-tendon strain which ruled him out of the series.

New Zealand missed Boult’s ability to swing the ball up front in Perth as Australia piled on more than 400 runs in the first innings which proved to be decisive eventually.

However, with the senior statesman back in the side now, New Zealand can hope to keep a check on the Australian top order at the MCG.

Apart from Boult, New Zealand will make one more change in the XI as Tom Blundell is all set to open the batting in place of Jeet Raval who has been struggling with form of late.

While Blundell is generally a middle-order batsman, the New Zealand team management has decided to give him a go at the top of the order and the skipper Kane Williamson has backed him to play his “natural game”.

“He (Blundell) is a positive player and a smart cricketer, so it’s just (about) trying to adapt to the conditions. It’s important he goes out and plays his natural game.” Williamson said while addressing the press ahead of the game.

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Blundell has played 55 first-class matches so far and has scored 2975 runs at an average of 37.18 with 6 hundreds and 14 half-centuries.