Auckland [New Zealand], November 3 (ANI): New Zealand opener Devon Conway has been ruled out of the first ODI against India, scheduled to be played in Auckland on Wednesday, after sustaining a head injury during a training session on Tuesday.
Conway suffered the injury following a collision with fast bowler Matt Henry during the team's pre-match training session at Eden Park, ruling him out of the series opener, as per Cricinfo.
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner confirmed that Matt Henry appeared fine after undergoing concussion assessments following the collision, but Devon Conway's condition was more concerning, with the opener being rushed off the premises for further medical attention.
"Not yet. I think Matt went through his concussion thing. He seems okay, but Dev's been raced off-premises. So, yeah, it didn't look too good, actually, that collision," Santner told the reporters.
Conway's injury adds to New Zealand's growing list of injury concerns, with Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra already ruled out of the ODI series due to hamstring and shoulder injuries, respectively. Meanwhile, wicketkeeper/batter Tim Seifert, who was initially considered only for the first two ODIs, was added to the squad for the entire series on Monday.
Santner indicated that Seifert is likely to replace Devon Conway in the playing XI. He described Conway's potential absence as a setback, praising his abilities in the 50-over format and calling the training-ground collision an unfortunate freak accident.
"Yeah, I guess he's [Seifert] the back-up batter in our squad. So it'll probably be a direct swap if Dev's unavailable, which is a shame. He [Conway] is obviously very good in one-day cricket and, you know, was biding his time in the T20 series. And, yeah, I guess another one of those freak accidents that happens," Santner added.
The ODI series will begin on November 4 in Auckland, following an entertaining five-match T20I series. India had taken an unassailable 3-0 lead after winning the first three matches, but New Zealand fought back strongly, winning the final two games to finish the series 3-2.
The hosts will now look to carry their winning momentum into the ODI series and take an early lead, while India will aim to bounce back and start the 50-over leg of the tour on a winning note. (ANI)
New Zealand suffer another injury blow as Conway ruled out of opening ODI after collision with Henry
