ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA // The chances of key New Zealand paceman Trent Boult overcoming a back injury and playing in the historic day-night Test have improved after he came through training without problems, coach Mike Hesson said on Wednesday.
Boult has been troubled by an irritated disc and was in doubt for tomorrow’s third and final Test against Australia.
The left-armer showed few signs of discomfort while bowling eight overs in the nets at Adelaide Oval yesterday, five of them at “full intensity”, according to Hesson.
Hesson and captain Brendon McCullum will make a final call today on whether Boult will take his place in the Black Caps team for the world’s first day-night Test.
Provided there are no setbacks, the swing specialist is likely to take part.
“We just have to see how he scrubs up,” Hesson said. “He doesn’t give too much away but he got through it and he was fine.
“He got better as the day went on. If he backs up tomorrow he’ll be good to go. We’re relatively confident.”
The Kiwis are eager to have Boult bowling with the pink ball under floodlights following his form at this year’s World Cup.
Boult claimed 22 wickets with the white ball in the ODI tournament, topping the wicket-taking list alongside Australia’s Mitchell Starc.
“He’s pretty keen,” Hesson said. “We’ll give him every chance. When he’s on song he is a big player for us, so we’ll give him every opportunity.
“But we’re also not going to push him if there’s a risk.”
Left-armer Neil Wagner is expected to be called into the team if Boult is ruled out.
Hesson said Wagner and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner would come under consideration regardless.
“Over the five days the pitch will deteriorate at a slightly different rate than normal, so we need to acknowledge that and see whether two spinners is an option,” he said.
Batsmen have dominated Australia’s series against New Zealand, but the pink ball and a green-tinged wicket at Adelaide should swing the balance of power back to the bowlers.
No fewer than 11 centuries were struck in the opening two matches in Brisbane and Perth, humbling some of the world’s top pacemen and triggering a round of denunciations over the state of Australia’s modern pitches.
Ironically, Adelaide Oval, long regarded a batsman’s paradise, could give the bowlers the last word in a series that has smouldered but rarely caught fire.
Adelaide is the only venue with a drop-in pitch.
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