IND vs NZ 1st Test: Wriddhiman Saha's neck issue recurs,KS Bharat to keep wickets on Day 5

Wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha following the heroic batting display on Day 4 will not take the field on Day 5 of India vs New Zealand 1st Test after failing to recover from the neck stiffness. A similar issue had happened with Wriddhiman Saha earlier on Day 3 of the India vs New Zealand 1st Test after which KS Bharat took his place behind the stumps.

India vs New Zealand 1st Test: KS Bharat to replace Wriddhiman Saha

The BCCI on Monday posted a tweet before the start of Day 5 in which it stated that Wriddhiman Saha felt stiffness in his neck while keeping in the second innings. It was affecting his movement while wicket-keeping with KS Bharat set to keep wickets in his absence on Day 5. 

Talking about KS Bharat, the wicketkeeper-batsman received his maiden Team India call-up earlier this month after he was included in the Test squad for a two-match series against the Kiwis. Bharat was included in the squad in place of regular wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who has been rested after the three-match T20I series against the visiting Blackcaps side.  Bharat has an impressive record in First-Class cricket, where he has scored 4,283 runs in 78 matches at an average of 37.24. He also has nine red-ball centuries and 23 half-centuries to his name. 

Look back at Day 4 of India vs New Zealand 1st Test

After losing half of the team quite early on Day 4 Shreyas Iyer and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Sahasaved the day for Team India scoring half-centuries to put keep the team in hunt for a win going into the final day of the 1st Test. Shreyas Iyer top-scored for the team  65 runs, while Saha remained unbeaten on 61 runs before the declaration came into play. After New Zealand pacers had half of the Indian batting lineup back in the hut Iyer and Ashwin (32) steadied the ship for India before the lower-order also chipped in with some invaluable runs. 

The final session of the match saw the visitors failing to break the partnership between Saha and Axar Patel. The declaration finally arrived with India's score at 234/7 and the lead at 283 runs. Before the end of the day's play, R Ashwin delivered the breakthrough with the wicket of Will Young.