Mitchell Santner's Potential Return for New Zealand's Second Test Against England, According to Stead

Christchurch, Dec 2 (NationPress) New Zealand's head coach Gary Stead stated on Monday that left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner is a candidate to participate in the second Test match versus England at Wellington.

Santner achieved 13 wickets in his previous Test, leading New Zealand to a 113-run victory over India in Pune, thus securing a remarkable series win. After missing the last Test of the tour due to a side injury, he has been named in the squad for New Zealand’s upcoming Tests against England in Wellington and Hamilton.

"That’s the significant decision we need to make. I believe Mitch's selection will depend on what transpired in Wellington last season, particularly since the conditions were very favorable for spin. However, we will assess the situation when we arrive there," Stead informed reporters.

New Zealand experienced a loss in the series opener against England by eight wickets at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, where numerous dropped catches and the underperformance of opener Devon Conway and wicketkeeper Tom Blundell were highlighted. Nevertheless, Stead expressed confidence in both players to deliver significant performances in the following matches.

"We have a great deal of trust in Tom Blundell. Glenn Phillips has excelled at batting with the tail and has become quite proficient in that role. Tom Blundell has played crucial innings for us... and we believe he is our key player, and we have a lot of confidence that he will continue to succeed," he stated.

"Everyone desires more consistently. I think batting in New Zealand conditions can be among the most challenging in the world. Devon is a talented player, and such talent doesn’t diminish over a week or a month. He seeks improvement, but we still hold a lot of faith in his playing style," he concluded.