Tauranga, Oct 6: New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said discussions are still happening over Kane Williamson’s availability for the ongoing home summer. While a final decision is yet to be made, Walter indicated that Williamson will be given the time he needs to decide when he will be playing for New Zealand.

Williamson, who currently holds a casual contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC), opted out of the recent three-match T20I series against Australia. He had also missed the tour of Zimbabwe, as he instead played in county cricket and The Hundred in England.

New Zealand’s home season continues with a limited-overs series at home against England, before the West Indies come for an all-format tour in November. “With Kane, we’re still in conversations as to what the summer is going to look like. He will play, no doubt about that. Just what and where is still in discussion.

“I think the reality is we’re dealing with all the guys on casual contracts, actually in different positions from a playing point of view. Kane is one of those (who deserves time) and he deserves the opportunity to sit and talk about what the rest of his year will look like.

“But I keep coming back to the most important thing, (which) is that he wants to play for his country, and so nutting out exactly what that looks like can take an extra week or two, but surely, he deserves that,” Walter told reporters on Monday.

Walter also confirmed that New Zealand will remain without Finn Allen (foot), Adam Milne (ankle) for the upcoming white-ball series against England, beginning on October 18 in Christchurch.

But he expressed optimism over the availability of white-ball captain Mitchell Santner, recovering from groin pain, and Rachin Ravindra, who was a late withdrawal from the T20Is against Australia after sustaining a facial injury during training post colliding with the boundary boards.

“I think we don’t live in an ideal world and so that’s part and parcel of it. I’ve been part of a World Cup campaign (with South Africa) where the team assembled at its full strength three days before our first game and that team managed to make a final.

“For me, it’s just the way it works. I think what’s more important is the environment and the team culture that sort of assimilates together when it needs to. We do know that by the back end of the India series (in January) prior to the World Cup, that’s when our full World Cup squad will be together.

“For me, as long as the guys are playing competitive cricket, that’s important, and almost everyone has been part of the environment at some point so I would assume that they can fit seamlessly back into it,” he added.

Ahmedabad, Oct 4: Ravindra Jadeja continued his dream run in the longer format with figures of 3-30, while Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj struck with a scalp each as India tightened their march towards an innings win over the West Indies in the first Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.

At lunch on day three, India have left the West Indies reeling at 66/5 in 27 overs, with the visitors’ still trailing by 220 runs and the prospect of an innings defeat looming large. Jadeja has a chance to pick a five-for after hitting an unbeaten 104, as India declared their first innings at 448/5 in 128 overs before day three got underway.

After not opting to give Nitish Kumar Reddy a hit with the bat and instead pushing for a swift finish, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj set the tone with a probing new-ball spell. Siraj also produced a snorter to beat Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s edge before dismissing him with a short ball.

The wicket was also made possible due to Nitish’s athleticism at square leg – diving full stretch to pouch a stunning catch airborne – something which can become a viral Instagram reel in what was an exceptional session of catching for India.

Jadeja then took over to remove John Campbell with a ball that drifted in and took the outside edge via extra bounce to forward short leg. He followed it up with a clever change in flight to trap Brandon King, who had earlier driven him for four but was lured into a mistimed poke to slip.

Kuldeep chipped in with the dismissal of Roston Chase – beating him with a legbreak that didn’t turn before crashing into off-stump. Jadeja had his third wicket of the session when Shai Hope was undone by extra bounce on a backfoot cut and Yashasvi Jaiswal held on to a sharp chance at backward point.

Amidst the procession, young Alick Athanaze stood tall by showcasing his skill against spin with decisive footwork and calculated strokeplay. His reverse sweeps and cover drives led him to be unbeaten on 27, while Justin Greaves showed some resistance at the other end to be not out on 10. It would be interesting to see for how long West Indies can fight it out in the face of a relentless Indian bowling line-up.

Brief Scores: West Indies 162 and 66/5 in 27 overs (Alick Athanaze 27 not out, John Campbell 14; Ravindra Jadeja 3-30, Kuldeep Yadav 1-15) lead India 448/5 dec in 128 overs (Dhruv Jurel 125, Ravindra Jadeja 104 not out; Roston Chase 2-90, Jayden Seales 1-53) by 220 runs.

Ahmedabad, Oct 3: Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja struck unbeaten fifties to help India extend their lead to 164 runs at tea on day two of the first Test against West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday.

At tea, India reached 326/4 in 96 overs, with Jurel and Jadeja unbeaten on 68 and 50, respectively, with their unbroken 108-run stand steering the hosts into a commanding position.

The session began with a brief window of hope for the West Indies as Jomel Warrican removed centurion KL Rahul for exactly 100 in the very first over after lunch. Rahul’s dismissal – of being caught at cover attempting a loose drive – was reminiscent of his lapse in the Hyderabad Test against England in 2024, a moment that had turned the tide in that match.

But this time, India didn’t let the momentum slip, thanks to Jurel, who peppered the square of the off-side region with boundaries. Jadeja, meanwhile, launched four sixes off Warrican by using his feet to neutralise the left-arm spinner’s threat.

Jurel, getting a chance to play due to Rishabh Pant being injured, showcased a blend of composure and class while handling both reverse swing and spin with maturity. His defence was tested by Jayden Seales, who found movement with the older ball, but he held firm, and grew in confidence after surviving an lbw appeal.

West Indies’ decision to delay the second new ball raised eyebrows, as persisting with the old ball allowed India to dictate terms.

Warrican offered variations and challenged the batters with changes in pace and trajectory. But Jadeja’s footwork and aggression kept him at bay. Jurel, fresh off a 140 against Australia A, looked every bit a solid batter in his strokeplay and defence, as 108 runs came off the second session for the loss of Rahul.

With six wickets in hand and two set batters at the crease on a pitch showing signs of crumbling, India will look to accelerate post-tea. West Indies, who have still held back from taking the new ball, need a breakthrough soon to prevent the game from going out of their reach.

Brief Scores: West Indies 162 in 44.1 overs (Justin Greaves 32; Mohammed Siraj 4-40) lead India 326/4 in 96 overs (KL Rahul 100, Dhruv Jurel 68 not out; Roston Chase 2-63, Jayden Seales 1-46) by 164 runs