By Richard Boock
The forgotten man of last summer's test cricket programme is on his way to India to join up with the New Zealand team.
Canterbury batsman Gary Stead has been called into the squad as cover for Craig McMillan, who fractured a finger on Saturday while fielding in the second test at Kanpur, leaving him in doubt for the remainder of the tour.
New Zealand physiotherapist Mark Harrison advised yesterday that McMillan had sustained a non-displaced fracture to the first joint of the index finger on his right hand, and that the full extent of the injury would not be known for 48 hours.
A decision on his return to New Zealand will be made this evening.
Ironically, when Stead was called in to make his test debut against South Africa last summer it was also as a replacement for McMillan, who broke the little finger on his left hand while he was batting on the last day of the first test match at Eden Park.
Stead, the Canterbury captain, began his international career with 27 in the weather-affected second test at Lancaster Park, followed that up with 68 and 33 in the third test at Wellington, but despite impressing with his application was overlooked for the test section of the England tour, and the initial squad to tour India.
The interesting issue now as far as the tour party is concerned, is not just whether Stead will play in the third test at Ahmedabad, but whether he will also remain with the squad for the one-day international section of the tour, possibly as a replacement for Matthew Bell.
On the face of it, it appears Stead, who has a test average of 42.66, will act only as cover for McMillan at Ahmedabad, with World Cup sensation Roger Twose widely tipped to rejoin the squad for the ensuing ODIs.
For all that, however, Stead is probably as suited to limited-overs cricket as the four or five-day version, and demonstrated that during last summer's Shell Cup campaign when he led all run-scorers with 468 runs at an average of 52.00, including four half-centuries McMillan, who apparently caught his finger in his shirt while fielding a ball off Nathan Astle's bowling, did not take the field during the third day's play but batted in New Zealand's second innings.
Stead will leave from Christchurch at 12.55pm today and will be in India in time for the third test.
Cricket: Stead to join team in India
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