The captain of New Zealand’s Test team, Tim Southee, hasn’t ruled out the chance that Neil Wagner will surprise everyone by being called up to the Test XI for the second match of the series against Australia. After learning he wouldn’t be included in the playing XI for the current series against Australia, Wagner just announced his retirement from international cricket. Will O’Rourke had a hamstring injury in the opening Test, though, so there is little chance the pacer will be called up to the starting eleven.
Due to a hamstring injury, O’Rourke left the pitch during Australia’s second innings and did not return to bowl. He did, however, come to bat in the second innings against New Zealand. The fans responded enthusiastically as Wagner entered the game as a replacement outfield.
“We haven’t had many conversations as of yet,” Southee stated following New Zealand’s defeat. “We’ll watch Will’s level of hygiene. The physiotherapist hasn’t indicated how serious it is or given a timeline. For the next few days, we’ll just have to wait and see how Will does. There will undoubtedly be an update in the coming day or two.
“Clearly, we need to go on and decide who enters the picture and how we envision it happening in Christchurch. Wagner has been a longtime fan favourite and has received a tremendous response here over the past week, even getting a few seconds on the pitch.”
Longtime new-ball partner Trent Boult was one guy Southee unquestionably ruled out of the running. The 34-year-old has only lately started playing T20 cricket and hasn’t participated in a Test match since June 2022. The captain was also less harsh on Scott Kuggeleijn, who struggled to pick up the slack in his second Test match when O’Rourke was forced to leave the pitch.
Southee said, “He bowled well at times.” He did a great job, taking some important wickets in the first innings, but it was difficult out there in the wind. The two Test matches he has played represent a very tiny sample size, and there is also a year-long gap between them. Coming in and having an immediate influence is difficult.”
The 35-year-old acknowledged that the difference between the two teams came from Cameron Green’s incredible century in the opening innings. Along with Josh Hazlewood, Green scorched an undefeated 174 to frustrate the hosts as the final-wicket combination added 116.
“I think we probably could have tried to get Green out on that second morning,” he stated. “I believe that given the way he performed the previous evening, we assumed he would emerge and make some shots. However, we could definitely try to get him out early the next morning and simplify things a little bit more than we did.”
