SYDNEY: A flu-like bug that has ripped through the New Zealand squad ahead of the third Test against Australia forced captain Kane Williamson and batsman Henry Nicholls to miss training for the second successive day on Thursday.
Tom Latham, who took the captain’s news conference in the absence of Williamson, said left-arm spinner Mitch Santner had also been affected by the bug but he was hopeful all three would be fit to play when the Test got underway on Friday.
“It’s up in the air at the moment but a couple of the boys are a bit crook unfortunately,” Latham told reporters at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). “They’re going to have today off as well as yesterday, so fingers crossed tomorrow they’ll be right to go.
“I think it’s flu-like symptoms, I’m not 100% sure,” he added. “It’s gone around the team a little bit, which isn’t ideal, but they’re resting up today and hopefully they’ll be good to go.”
New Zealand were beaten heavily in the first two Tests of the three-match series but the loss in particular of world class batsman Williamson would be a major blow to their hopes of putting in a good performance to close out the tour.
Latham, however, thought it would have to be a very serious illness for his captain to miss the match.
“I think it will take a lot,” he said. “He’s obviously a great leader amongst this group and he’s passionate about this group so if there’s any chance of him playing, even if it is a small chance, I’m sure he’ll play.”
Santner was under pressure for his place in the side in any case after taking 1-250 over the first two Tests and his illness makes it even more likely that off-spinner Will Somerville will play his fourth Test.
The 35-year-old former accountant, who knows the SCG well after playing for New South Wales for four years until 2018, was called into the squad this week.
New Zealand had only one extra batsman in the squad but the board added 23-year-old batsman Glenn Phillips, who has only represented the Black Caps in Twenty20 Internationals, as cover.
Coach Gary Stead said Phillips’ inclusion was precautionary.
Latham said the presence of a few all-rounders would make the position easier if Williamson and Nicholls were unable to play.
“Obviously if we lost those guys it would be a little bit disappointing but… whatever side we end up playing, we’ve got the backing of the whole group that it’s the right team to do the job,” he said. :We haven’t necessarily played our best brand of cricket since we’ve been over here and the guys are really excited to go out there over the next five days and try to put in a good performance.”
Meanwhile, Australia kept New Zealand guessing as they weighed up using a five-pronged bowling attack in the final Test.
The home team, who have comfortably won the first two Tests of the three-match series, have called up leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson who could bowl in tandem with Nathan Lyon, depending on a last-minute pitch inspection on Friday.
“We’re just weighing up whether we play the second spinner and if we did, how we would do that,” captain Tim Paine told reporters ahead of the game.
“As JL [head coach Justin Langer] touched on yesterday [Wednesday], I think at the moment it would be likely that we would go unchanged but there’s still a possibility, if we see that wicket tomorrow morning, that we could play another spinner.”
If they go with a second spinner, middle-order batsman Matthew Wade is the likely fall guy, after number six Travis Head hit a century in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne.
An unchanged side would retain Lyon alongside pace spearheads Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson, who wreaked havoc with the New Zealand batsmen in their 247-run win in Melbourne.
Paine said the team was versatile enough to cope whether they dropped a batsman or a fast bowler.
“Luckily we could probably do both if we had to,” he said. “We’ve got some guys around our squad that could provide quite a bit of flexibility and even with someone like James Pattinson can really lengthen our batting anyway.”
Shane Warne, who has championed Swepson, said in a column for the Sydney Daily Telegraph on Thursday that he would like to see him play in Sydney.
“I watched him during the Test in Melbourne [training] and he’s bowling beautifully,” he said. “I like his weapons. He’s got a good wrong-un, a good leg-break, some good plans and he understands his game so well.”
Australia have been unbeatable this season, winning all four Tests at home — two each against Pakistan and New Zealand — after retaining the Ashes in England.
Paine has pointed to teamwork as a crucial factor, with players stepping up when others are having an off day.
