Coach Gary Stead expects 'sustained period of rest' for Kane Williamson to heal elbow injury

New Zealand lost their skipper Kane Williamson for the second and final Test of the series owing to a long standing elbow injury that has consistently bothered the Kiwi captain. Head coach Gary Stead said that playing him in Mumbai was never an option despite his eagerness to lead the team and play the final match against India.

“Ultimately the injury is still not right and while he got through the Kanpur Test, it was clear playing in the second Test wasn’t an option. We all know how much he loves playing and leading this team, particularly in Test cricket, so it’s a very difficult decision to sit out,” Stead said.

Williamson has suffered from a longstanding elbow injury that has troubled him over the last couple of years and has forced him away from many games and Stead said that increased load of batting has aggravated the injury. Stead laid down a plan of “sustained period of rest” for Williamson where he will go through rounds of strengthening and the batting load will be elevated gradually to allow the elbow to heal properly.

“It’s been a really tough time for Kane having to deal with such a persistent injury,” Stead said. “While we’ve been able to manage the injury through the year and the T20 World Cup, the shift to Test cricket and the increased batting loading has re-aggravated his elbow."

“It’s been a challenging year for Kane trying to manage his elbow and it’s important we now formulate a good plan with him to ensure the injury does not continue to plague him. He will likely require a sustained period of rest followed by rehabilitation, strengthening and gradual batting loading.”