Cricket: Vettori injury puts him in doubt for India

Brendon McCullum admits the withdrawal of Daniel Vettori on the eve of the second test against the West Indies is a "huge loss" for New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images.

Brendon McCullum admits the withdrawal of Daniel Vettori on the eve of the second test against the West Indies is a "huge loss" for New Zealand and hinted the spin bowler could miss the Indian tour which starts in a fortnight.

Vettori has been ruled out of the test at Sabina Park in Kingston, which starts early on Friday, due to a grade one right groin strain which began troubling him on the third day of the first test in Antigua, a match which resulted in a crushing nine-wicket victory for the West Indies.

Black Caps physiotherapist Paul Close today said Vettori's injury was "managed" during the first test, during which he overtook Stephen Fleming to become New Zealand's most capped player on 112 tests, but further assessment indicated the extent of his injury and the need to return to New Zealand.

"He will require a rest from bowling and his return date will be determined by how well he responds to the treatment," Close said.

Vettori's absence means a likely test debut for leg-spinner Tarun Nethula and, although Close gave little away in a New Zealand Cricket media statement, the 33-year-old Vettori must be considered a big doubt for the tour of India which consists of two tests and two Twenty20 matches.

A similar diagnosis for fellow spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, of Sri Lanka, sidelined him for three weeks and ruled him out of the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies two years ago.

"It's a huge loss, not just for his performance on the field which he has done for a number of years consistently - he has really led us from that point of view - but also what he offers us in the changing room," McCullum, who scored 25 and 84 with the bat in the first test, said of Vettori.

"When you're out on the field you know that he has that experience to call on for some of the younger bowlers and even the batters as well. He's had a phenomenal career so far and we hope he rests up, gets himself recuperated and he comes back in a couple of months' time for us and we're able to gel him back into a team that is performing a bit better than of late."

Vettori struggled to make an impact for the Black Caps in Antigua, scoring 17 and 13 and toiling with the ball for combined bowling figures of 1-127, but New Zealand will miss his steadiness and maturity as much as anything.

A player at the other end of his career, Neil Wagner, was bullish about New Zealand's chances of drawing the series despite the ominous form of West Indian opening batsman Chris Gayle, who scored 150 and 64, and Kieran Powell, who contributed 134 and 30.

"We've got to go out fighting in the last test and try to draw the series. Obviously it's tough work but we've got to be real aggressive but also patient in other areas," said Wagner, a left-hand batsman medium-fast bowler who made his test debut in Antigua.

"We dropped Gayle at a crucial moment, we also had a chance against Powell, if we had got those guys early it might have been a different game."