Boult, de Grandhomme passed fit for Australia tour
Both Boult and de Grandhomme had been ruled out of the second Test against England, after having sustained injuries in the previous game in Mount Maunganui. While de Grandhomme had sustained an abdominal muscle injury, Boult had experienced pain on the right side of his ribs, which forced him to leave the field after bowling just one over on the final day of the first Test at the Hagley Oval.
The duo have made a steady progress since then and it has been confirmed that they'll travel with the squad ahead of the first Test in Perth. Earlier this week, Gary Stead, the New Zealand head coach had sounded positive on their return to the team. "I don't know if I'm really confident, but I'm quietly optimistic they're tracking where we want them to be," he noted.
INJURY UPDATE | Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme are both making good progress with their injuries and successfully trained today at Bay Oval. The pair will travel with the team to Perth tomorrow. #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/ROdtvaofvL
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) December 6, 2019
The pair's return further bolsters the New Zealand side, which has been unbeaten in their last seven Test series. While Boult has been the team's premier fast bowler across formats, de Grandhomme has evolved as a Test cricketer and is currently ranked ninth on the MRF Tyres ICC Test Rankings for all-rounders.
Boult and de Grandhomme were replaced by Matt Henry and Daryl Mitchell respectively in the playing XI in the second Test in Hamilton, while Lockie Ferguson had earned his maiden Test call-up. Their return to the squad leaves the management with some tough decisions to make ahead of their second series in the ICC World Test Championship.