Injuries rule Ishant, Jadeja, Rahane out of 2nd Test
Kane Williamson out of 2nd Test with elbow injury, Latham to lead
Mumbai, Dec 3: New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will miss the second and final Test against India here due to the recurrence of his left-elbow injury which has troubled him for much of this year.
Tom Latham will lead the side in place of Williamson, who has been dealing with the tendon injury since it first emerged in the New Zealand home summer.
Coach Gary Stead confirmed the injury had flared-up during the first Test in Kanpur and with it failing to improve in the days following the match, the call was made to rule the captain out.
"It's been a really tough time for Kane having to deal with such a persistent injury," Stead said.
"While we've been able to manage the injury through the year and the T20 World Cup, the shift to Test cricket and the increased batting loading has re-aggravated his elbow.
"Ultimately the injury is still not right and while he got through the Kanpur Test, it was clear playing in the second Test wasn't an option," he further stated.
Stead informed that Williamson will require sustained rest.
"It's been a challenging year for Kane trying to manage his elbow and it's important we now formulate a good plan with him to ensure the injury does not continue to plague him.
"He will likely require a sustained period of rest followed by rehabilitation, strengthening and gradual batting loading."
India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, whose place in the playing eleven seemed doubtful due to lack of form, was on Friday ruled out of the second Test against New Zealand due to a hamstring niggle along with two more injured senior players Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja.
The match is expected to start later Friday amid wet weather.
"Rahane sustained a minor left hamstring strain while fielding on the final day of the 1st Test match in Kanpur. Since he has not recovered completely, he has been ruled out of the 2nd Test in Mumbai," read a BCCI statement.
Ishant, who would also have been dropped, developed a left little finger dislocation, as per the media release.
"Fast bowler Ishant Sharma dislocated his left little finger during the final day of the 1st Test match in Kanpur. He is thus ruled out of the 2nd Test in Mumbai."
The big blow is, however, Jadeja's forearm injury, with which he played the Kanpur Test.
"All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja suffered a right forearm injury during the 1st Test match in Kanpur. After undergoing scans, he was diagnosed with a swelling on his forearm.
"He has been advised rest and is thus ruled out of the 2nd Test in Mumbai."
Team News | BLACKCAPS captain Kane Williamson will miss the second and final Test against India in Mumbai as he continues to battle the left-elbow injury which has troubled him for much of 2021. More | https://t.co/VClIKxKI8Q #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/wGeA46LN4g
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 3, 2021
NEWS - Injury updates – New Zealand’s Tour of India
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 3, 2021
Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja ruled out of the 2nd Test.
More details here - https://t.co/ui9RXK1Vux #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/qdWDPp0MIz
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Bengal: Over 55 pc turnout till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of 2 assembly seats
Kolkata (PTI): Over 55 per cent turnout was recorded till 1 pm in repoll in 15 booths of two assembly constituencies in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, an official said.
Voting was underway more or less peacefully at 11 polling stations of Magrahat Paschim assembly constituency and four in Diamond Harbour, where the EC ordered repoll a day ago, following reports of electoral malpractices.
However, at booth number 179 at Chanda Primary School of Diamond Harbour seat, the Trinamool Congress alleged that a specially abled voter and his mother were harassed by central forces. The alleged incident sparked protests by party workers and locals.
The TMC claimed that the voter's mother, who had entered the booth to assist him, and her son were detained for a considerable time by central forces over alleged rule violations.
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"TMC leaders Manmohini Biswas and Pratik Ur Rahman reached the spot and led the protests, with residents terming the action unwarranted harassment. The matter has been taken care of by our officials there," an official of the poll body said.
Polling was otherwise peaceful across 15 booths in the area, he added.
Voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm, the official said, adding that till 1 pm, the turnout was 55.57 per cent.
Magrahat Paschim registered 56.33 per cent voter turnout, while in Diamond Harbour, it was 54.9 per cent, a poll official stated.
Voting in these two assembly constituencies was held in the second phase of the state elections on April 29.
The repoll order was based on reports received from returning officers and observers of the two constituencies and "material circumstances", the Election Commission official said.
In Magrahat Paschim, TMC's Md Samim Ahamed Molla is pitted against BJP nominee Goursundar Ghosh, while Abdul Majid Halder of the Congress and ISF candidate Abdul Aziz Al Hassan are also in the fray.
TMC candidate Panna Lal Halder is contesting against Dipak Kumar Halder of the BJP in the Diamond Harbour seat. Goutam Bhattacharya of the Congress and CPI(M)'s Samar Naiya are among other candidates.
The BJP had alleged rampant electoral malpractices in certain polling stations of both the assembly seats under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, which is represented by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The EC had deputed its special observer, Subrata Gupta, to fact-check the allegations from the ground.
The poll panel will decide on repolling in the Falta assembly constituency on Saturday.
The West Bengal assembly elections were held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29 -- amid unprecedented security arrangements.
Counting of votes will take place on May 4.
