WELLINGTON, (Reuters) – Spin-bowling all-rounder Mitchell Santner has been retained in New Zealand’s 12-man squad for the two-match test series against Sri Lanka after an impressive debut in the third and final test against Australia.
The Hamilton-born 23-year-old, who bats left-handed and bowls left-arm spin, replaced seamer Matt Henry for the inaugural day-night test at Adelaide Oval, taking two wickets and scoring 76 runs in tough conditions for batsmen.
“The level of composure Mitchell showed on debut was very impressive and he certainly displayed how exciting a player he is with both the bat and ball,” New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said in a statement on Tuesday.
“His ability to bat in the top six and bowl good overs gives us options and assists the team balance. We’re looking forward to watching Mitchell’s continued development.”
