RAIN HAS FINAL SAY AT UNI OVAL

JUST pause for a minute and imagine how Neil Broom is feeling.

The 33yearold Otago righthander has been waiting his whole career for an opportunity to play test cricket for New Zealand and the first shot he gets is as a replacement for the injured Ross Taylor on a potentially lively pitch at the Basin Reserve.

Oh, and he will have to see off the threat of South Africa’s potent seam trio of Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada.

‘‘It makes it all that much better doesn’t it?’’ Broom said.

‘‘I just want to get in there and get in the dogfight and see how I shape up at test level.’’

Broom gets his opportunity after Taylor was forced to retired hurt on day two of the first test against South Africa.

Taylor has a low grade calf tear and returned to bat later in the drawn match, but has been ruled out for the second test which gets under way in Wellington on Thursday.

Black Caps seamer Trent Boult is a doubtful starter. He will travel to the capital but has an upper leg injury which will need to be closely monitored.

Canterbury’s Matt Henry joins the squad but that was planned before Boult’s injury.

The Black Caps can take some confidence into the second test despite changes to their personnel. The opening test in Dunedin finished in a draw when the forecast poor weather arrived and washed out the last day.

The game was evenly poised too, with South Africa leading by 191 with four second innings wickets in hand.

The Black Caps made a hash of their reviews on Saturday, and Tom Latham dropped a simple catch when JP Duminy was on six, but for the most part the home side competed well.

‘‘Batting last would have posted its challenges,’’ Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson said.

‘‘But if we were able to perhaps take the wickets we needed quickly then it could have shaped up nicely for a result, or probably all three results.’’

South African captain Faf du Plessis felt, with Taylor and Boult nursing injuries, his side had a good opportunity to press for a win had it not rained.

‘‘With one seamer down and one batter out of the team, we fancied our chances,’’ du Plessis said.

‘‘We were 190 ahead on a wicket which was spinning quite a bit. If we got 50 or 60 more runs . . . that would have been a nice position to be in.’’

The Basin will offer du Plessis’ formidable pace attack the best conditions for seam bowling during the series.

Taylor’s absence in the middle order will put extra pressure on Williamson, while Broom, who will be making his test debut if named in the playing XI, strug gled during the oneday series against South Africa last month and will be under enormous pressure. He scored four runs in three innings and du Plessis’ reaction to the news suggested he was surprised by Broom’s call up.

‘‘I have not played against him with the red ball but have seen a little bit of him in the onedayers, so we will have some plans.

‘‘We were quite successful in getting him in the onedayers, so hopefully the same thing can happen.

‘‘For me it is just the experience they will miss with Ross — a guy that averages 50 is difficult to replace straight away. We see that definitely as a positive for us.’’

Broom got the nod ahead of Auckland’s Colin Munro because of the stability he offers, Black Caps coach Mike Hesson said.

‘‘We’ve got quite an inexperienced batting lineup . . . so we were keen to have someone who had plenty of playing experience,’’ Hesson said.

‘‘Somebody who played pace well and obviously Neil has had the advantage of seeing a little bit of South Africa earlier on in the month.

‘‘In terms of that middleorder role, he was an obvious selection for us.’’

Northern Districts opener Dean Brownlie was not considered because of injury.