Day one of second Test, live on Sky Sports 3 at 4.50am, Friday
Friday 30 September 2016 11:46, UK
New Zealand head into the second Test against India on Friday with fitness concerns over skipper Kane Williamson.
New Zealand need a win at Eden Gardens to level the three-match series after they lost the first Test in Kanpur by 197 runs, but might have to do without Williamson, who missed training on Thursday after falling ill.
Black Caps team-mate Tom Latham is hopeful Williamson, who is ranked by the ICC as the second best batsman in the world, will be fully recovered for the first day on Friday as the tourists fight to stay in the three-Test series.
"Kane is a little bit crook (sick) today so he won't be training. Hopefully he'll be fine to go tomorrow," Latham said.
"There is no discomfort, he is just down with a bug. Nothing too major, he is just resting up and getting right for tomorrow."
The news follows New Zealand coach Mike Hess' announcement on Wednesday that all-rounder Jimmy Neesham remains sidelined with the rib injury which ruled him out of the first Test.
Meanwhile Virat Kohli has confirmed off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who claimed half the Kiwi wickets in Kanpur despite bowling with a corn on his middle finger, was available for the second Test.
The India captain also did not rule out off-spinner Jayant Yadav making his Test debut in a three-pronged spin attack.
"We felt adding an off-spinner, because they have five left-handers in their batting line up, would help us at a stage where possibly we are looking to play three spinners," Kohli said.
"The whole idea was to bring in another guy who can bowl at the left-handers."
The second test between New Zealand and India in Kolkata gets underway on Friday, live on Sky Sports 3 HD from 4.50am.
