Boult boost for Kiwis

THE return of pace spearhead Trent Boult will come as a welcome boost for New Zealand in their flagging ICC Test Championship campaign as they face topranked India in a two-match series starting at the Basin Reserve in Wellington tomorrow.

Boult broke his hand in the second Test against Australia in December and had to sit out a Twenty20 series and one-day matches against India.

“I suppose breaking a hand, you don’t really know how much you use it until it’s broken,” he told reporters this week after playing in a club match.

“Everything has gone well but catching would be the biggest issue for me at the moment. I’m 100% fit and hungry.

“It’s been nice just to be able to bowl.” India swept the Twenty20 matches 5-0 but Kane Williamson’s side, without several first-choice bowlers, had their chances to win the last three games of that series.

New Zealand turned the tables in the one-dayers, beating India 3-0, and the hosts will look to build on that in the Test series against Virat Kohli’s side, who lead the Championship on 360 points – 64 ahead of second-placed Australia.

New Zealand, who suffered a recent 3-0 hammering in Australia, are sixth on 60 points.

The Basin Reserve match will be Ross Taylor’s 100th Test and he will also become the first man or woman to play 100 games in all three formats.

He played his 100th Twenty20 international earlier this month and has also played 231 one-day internationals. – Reuters