New Zealand swap Devon Conway with Daryl Mitchell in NZ squad for India Tests

All-rounder Daryl Mitchell will replace injured Devon Conway in the New Zealand squad for India Tests. Conway was ruled out of the series owing to a broken hand. The southpaw was furious after being dismissed in the semifinal against England and struck his hand in frustration. The jerk was strong enough to break Conway's hand after which he was ruled out of the 20-20 World Cup final against Australia and the India tour.

Conway will travel to India with the T20I squad and will depart for New Zealand after the T20I series with the T20 squad. Speaking about Mitchell, he has been very consistent in the last couple of years in limited-overs cricket and was New Zealand's star in the 20-20 World Cup semifinal win over England. He has a decent record in Tests as well.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead was all praise for Mitchell and said that he will add value to the side. In addition to providing stability in the middle order, Mitchell can bowl a few overs of medium pace as well. “It’s a shame for Devon to miss out on the first series of the new World Test Championship cycle, but it also offers up an opportunity for someone else. Daryl’s versatility means he can cover a lot of batting positions and he’s certainly got plenty of confidence at the moment. He’s proven he can perform in Test cricket, and I know he’s excited to rejoin the Test group for this tour,” said Stead

Mitchell has so far played five Tests for New Zealand, scoring 232 runs at an average of 58, with one century and one half-century. The Test series gets underway on November 25 in Kanpur, while the second Test will be played in Mumbai from December 3.