Spinner and former skipper Daniel Vettori ruled himself out of the second Test at Headingley, ensuring New Zealand will take on England with an all-pace attack from Friday.
Vettori’s decision to put the team first rather than play a 112th Test and become the sole New Zealand record-holder for caps, means fast bowler Doug Bracewell will complement a seam attack with Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner.
“It’s a gamble but when you’re 1-0 down you’ve got to take it,” captain Brendon McCullum said on Thursday.
He will keep wicket for the first time in nearly three years, taking over from the injured BJ Watling. McCullum stressed it was a one-off situation, and hoped to manage the back complaint which forced him to drop the gloves in 2010.
With Martin Guptill taking Watling’s place in the lineup, the usual opener will bat at No. 6, followed by McCullum.
New Zealand hoped that when Vettori joined them on Tuesday for the coming one-day series that he could replace the injured Bruce Martin. But Vettori’s practices came up short. He hasn’t played a Test since July, missing the tour of South Africa with an Achilles’ complaint and the home series against England with ankle tendinitis. lately, he was a mere net bowler in the IPl.
“He didn’t scrub up that well today,” McCullum said. “He gave it his best shot. He’s not quite confident he’ll be able to get through five days and didn’t want to let the team down.”
He said they were also mindful of not risking a flare-up of his injuries, as he was a big part of the ODI squad for the England series and Champions Trophy.
lineups
Eng (from): Alastair Cook (c), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Nick Compton, Steve Finn, Matt Prior, Joe Root, Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott.
NZ: Brendon McCullum (c), Peter Fulton, Hamish Rutherford, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Dean Brownlie, Martin Guptill, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, Doug Bracewell.