New Zealand made two changes Wednesday for the Boxing Day Test against Australia with fast bowler Trent Boult back from injury and Tom Blundell replacing Jeet Ravel at the top of the order. The dangerous Boult missed the first Test in Perth, where his team crashed by 296 runs, with a rib injury that also kept him out of their final clash against England. But he has worked his way back to fitness, desperate to play in the Black Caps first Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground since 1987, with a crowd of more 75,000 expected on day one. “Perth was tough and Australia are very good and tactically sound,” he said after his team were put through their paces in the nets on Christmas Day. “I guess there’s a sense of romance about being involved in the Boxing Day Test … at the same time it’s about removing a little bit of that and bringing the focus back to the cricket and making those improvements we need to.”AFP

Source: Punch December 25, 2019 03:22 UTC