Hayden in doubt for 1st Test

Matthew Hayden’s shoulder injury, which has already prevented him of taking part in the second half of the current ODI series against New Zealand, is a possibility of keeping him out of the Test series opener in Christchurch on the 10th of March.

Hayden sustained the injury while taking a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Chris Cairns in the 2nd ODI. The injury could not have come at a worse time for Hayden; the left-hander had just regained his form to score 71 and 114 in the opening two one-dayers after being dropped for the VB series finals and recovering from a viral infection.

Team physio Alex Kountouri said that he could not guarantee Hayden would be ready for the first Test after he had complained of continued pain in his shoulder while batting in the nets yesterday. Hayden, 33, said that the injury wasn’t expected to heal overnight and that he would have to be patient during the recovery process, commenting, “I’ve been lucky over my career that I haven’t had too many injuries so I’m not quite used to this situation. It is definitely improving but there is still discomfort.”