New Zealand has selected the fast-bowling duo-  William O’Rourke and Ben Sears for their first of their two important tours. The duo impressed in early 2024 and are now part of a 15-man squad traveling to India for a one-off Test against Afghanistan, followed by two test matches in Sri Lanka that are part of the ICC Test Championship.

New Zealand squad: Tim Southee (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (vc), Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Kane Williamson, Will Young

The 23-year-old O’Rourke has made an outstanding debut at the start of this year with a match figure of 9/93, including five wickets in the second inning. He featured in just the first Test against Australia in the subsequent series before a groin injury laid him low. Sears got his opportunity in the second Test against Australia in that series where he picked five wickets.

Micheal Bracewell, an off-spinner, is also retained in the team after a gap of one and a half years due to an Achilles and finger injury.  Bracewell joins up with Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel and Rachin Ravindra – all left-arm spinners – and off-spinner Glenn Phillips.

New Zealand’s head coach, Gary Stead expressed excitement about the young players joining the squad and appreciated Bracewell’s recovery fast and resilience in overcoming the hurdles. 

Stead also mentioned the challenges of playing Test cricket in the sub-continent, especially for pace bowlers, due to tough conditions like heat, humidity, and turning pitches.  

“Michael’s had to show plenty of resilience to rehabilitate his injuries and force his way back into the BLACKCAPS across all three formats. His all-round skills and ability to take the ball away from the left-hander make him a great asset, especially on what we expect will be turning wickets in India and Sri Lanka,” Stead added.

New Zealand have all their best batters in place ahead of a busy period of Test cricket. After the two series in September, they play three Tests against India in the subcontinent across October and November before heading back and commencing their home summer by hosting England for three Tests.

With so much Test cricket to play in gruelling away conditions, Stead talked up workload management, including for his captain Tim Southee who may not feature in all the games. Kyle Jamieson, meanwhile, was not considered for selection as he continues his rehabilitation from a back injury.

New Zealand have all their best batters in place ahead of a busy period of Test cricket. After the two series in September, they play three Tests against India in the subcontinent across October and November before heading back and commencing their home summer by hosting England for three Tests.

With so much Test cricket to play in grueling away conditions, Stead talked up workload management, including for his captain Tim Southee who may not feature in all the games. Kyle Jamieson, meanwhile, was not considered for selection as he continues his rehabilitation from a back injury.