New Zealand seamer Ben Sears ruled out of India Tests; Black Caps name Jacob Duffy as replacement

In a fresh blow to the Kiwi camp, pace bowler Ben Sears has been ruled out of the Test series against India, following the earlier loss of captain Kane Williamson. Sears will miss the entire series, with Jacob Duffy stepping in as his replacement.

Sears suffered a left knee injury during the recent tour of Sri Lanka. After returning home, scans revealed the injury to be serious, preventing him from traveling with the team to India and ultimately sidelining him for the whole series.

New Zealand's head coach, Gary Stead, expressed his disappointment regarding Sears's injury, stating, “We are certainly disappointed about Ben’s injury. He had a fantastic start to his Test career last summer. He’s a dynamic pace bowler and a very good alternative for us. Let’s see how long we have to manage without him. Hopefully, he will recover fully in a short time.”

So far, Sears has played only one Test match, in which he took five wickets on his debut against Australia.

Jacob Duffy, who is set to replace Sears, has yet to make his Test debut but has played county cricket for Nottinghamshire. Duffy will travel to India on Wednesday.

Regarding Duffy, the head coach remarked, “This is a fantastic opportunity for Jacob. He has been around the Test squad for a while now. With three Tests in this series, the chances of his Test debut are very much alive.”

He added, “His recent performances in the County Championship with Nottinghamshire have certainly helped him secure a spot in the team. He has always performed well in white-ball cricket for the Black Caps, and we believe he will contribute positively in the Test arena as well.”