Former captain Kane Williamson has been forced to delay his departure due to a groin strain.
The prolific right-hander picked up the injury during the second test against Sri Lanka in Galle and will need some rest and rehabilitation before he can join the squad in India.
Auckland batter Mark Chapman will join the squad as cover for Williamson. He is uncapped at test level.
Black Caps selector Sam Wells said in a press release the plan was still for Williamson to play some part in the three-test series which starts in Bengaluru next week.
‘‘The advice we've received is that the best course of action is for Kane to rest and rehabilitate now rather than risk aggravating the injury,’’ Wells said.
‘‘We're hopeful, that if the rehabilitation goes to plan, Kane will be available for the latter part of the tour.
‘‘While it's obviously disappointing to not have Kane available from the start of the tour, it provides an opportunity for someone else to play a role in an important series.’’
That someone else is most likely Will Young. The 31-year-old has been the guy the team leans on when there is an injury in the top order.
The Central Districts right-hander has had only modest success in 16 tests. But in the one-day arena he has performed well, scoring 1244 runs at an average of 44.42 in 31 games.
Chapman is down the pecking order at test level. But he has become a regular in the T20 team.
He averages 42.81 in first-class cricket and has notched six centuries, including 114 for New Zealand A against India A at Bert Sutcliffe Oval in 2020.
Wells felt Chapman had the right skill set for test cricket in the sub-continent.
‘‘We believe Mark is one of our best players of spin and has a proven track-record in the sub-continent.
“Mark has displayed an ability to play spin proactively in the international arena, and combined with his excellent first-class record, we see him as someone who can succeed in the type of conditions we expect to encounter in India.”
Wellington all-rounder Michael Bracewell is available for the first test but will return home for the birth of his second child and will be replaced by Ish Sodhi for the remainder of the series.
The rest of the squad is unchanged from the recent test series against Sri Lanka.
Black Caps squad for test tour of India:
Tom Latham (captain), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell (1st test), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi (2nd and 3rd tests), Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Will Young.
