New Zealand will hand a Test debut to wicketkeeper Mitchell Hay in the second Test against West Indies at Wellington’s Basin Reserve starting December 11, 2025. The 25-year-old Cantabrian steps in after Tom Blundell was ruled out with a torn right hamstring.

Tom Blundell’s Injury Forces Reshuffle

Blundell sustained the hamstring tear while batting on the opening day of the drawn first Test in Christchurch. He looked uncomfortable running between the wickets and couldn’t take the field on Day 2, with captain Tom Latham donning the gloves in his absence. Scans confirmed the severity of the injury, sidelining him not just from the second Test but for the remainder of the series.​

Mitchell Hay: First Keeper to Debut Since 2017

Hay becomes the first wicketkeeper to make a Test debut for New Zealand since 2017, marking a significant moment in his career. The Canterbury player has already represented New Zealand in white-ball cricket, featuring in 7 ODIs and 12 T20Is. In limited-overs internationals, he has scored 166 runs in ODIs at an average of 41.5, including a highest score of 99. He made headlines in November 2024 when he set a new record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in a T20I innings with six catches against Sri Lanka.

In first-class cricket, Hay has accumulated around 720 runs at an average of 30 in 25 matches. He scored his maiden first-class century against Northern Districts in March 2024 during the Plunket Shield season.

Injury Crisis Deepens for Black Caps

The hosts are grappling with a mounting injury list that has severely depleted their bowling resources. Fast bowler Matt Henry suffered a calf tear, while all-rounder Nathan Smith picked up a side strain during the Christchurch Test. Both have been ruled out for the rest of the series.

This comes on top of earlier absences, with Mitchell Santner sidelined due to a groin injury and Will O’Rourke unavailable with a back problem. The injury troubles left New Zealand scrambling with just two fit seamers – Jacob Duffy and Zak Foulkes – who bowled a combined 76 overs in the fourth innings at Christchurch.

Two More Potential Debutants in the Squad

Captain Tom Latham confirmed that at least one more player could debut alongside Hay. Seam-bowling all-rounder Kristian Clarke and pace bowler Michael Rae have been added to the 14-man squad.

Clarke, 24, is a Northern Districts player who averages 22.14 with the bat and has taken 59 wickets at 30.62 in 20 first-class matches. He has claimed three five-wicket hauls in his first-class career.

Rae, 30, brings experience with 205 first-class wickets from 69 matches at an average of 33.06. The former Otago bowler, who now plays for Canterbury, is making his Test squad call-up 11 years after his first-class debut in 2014. He was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2017-18 Plunket Shield season with 29 dismissals and famously took 7 for 35 in a domestic List A match in December 2020.

West Indies Riding High After Christchurch Draw

West Indies saved the first Test against all odds after being set a mammoth 531-run target. Justin Greaves played a heroic unbeaten 202 from 388 balls, combining with tailender Kemar Roach in an epic partnership. Roach defied the home attack for 233 balls to score 58 not out as the pair added 180 runs for the seventh wicket.

The visitors batted 163.3 overs in their second innings, finishing on 457 for 6. It was the second-most overs West Indies have faced in a fourth innings in Test cricket.

Captain Roston Chase expressed confidence heading into Wellington, stating his team is “on top right now” after proving they can compete with the hosts. “Knowing that we can actually compete and come close, almost having a chance of winning in the first Test match, the guys’ spirits are high,” Chase said.

Latham Backs New Players to Perform

With multiple debutants likely, Latham urged the newcomers to trust the form that earned them selection. “Sometimes, myself included, when I’ve come into the squad, you want to come and do something special. But at the end of the day doing what they’ve been doing to get to this point will hold them in good stead,” Latham explained.

He added that the uncapped players have been performing well in domestic cricket this season and should lean on those experiences.

The second Test begins on December 11, 2025, at 11 AM local time at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.