Ryder, Bracewell lose Test spots

AUCKLAND: Jesse Ryder's hopes of making a dramatic and complete return into international cricket went up in smoke as he was ruled out of contention for the second Test against India starting later this week.
The beleaguered player, with a drinking history, hasn't played Test cricket since December 2011 when he decided on a sabbatical to put his life back on order; in the interim , he became a victim of a drunken assault which almost cost his life.
He recovered from it smartly to come back into the New Zealand One-day side in December; he was included in the XIII as cover for Ross Taylor but was eventually released on the eve of the first Test to play for his domestic side: Otago.
Sadly for him, he went out drinking in the evening along with another troubled partner Doug Bracewell; they were reportedly away from the team hotel till almost 3, and worse, Bracewell even returned with a broken bone in his foot and an injured hand. Both were promptly suspended, pending inquiry.
On Monday, coach Mike Hesson confirmed that neither of them will be considered for selection. "We need to make sure all our players prepare themselves accordingly for Test cricket and at the moment we don't have the confidence that that's the case," he said, while making the selectors' mind clear.
The NZ team is expected to be announced on Tuesday, with Tom Latham and Hamish Bennett likely to be included. He, however, left some hope for the pair when asked if they will be dumped for good: "There's an investigation taking place and we'll let that run its course before making any bold statements about that sort of thing."
Speaking about the amazing Test victory, Hesson picked Neil Wagner's performance. "When India were 220-2 and cruising along, his spell, 11 overs with an old ball against two guys who were set was crucial. I thought the energy he showed and the way the guys got behind him was the turning point. We always felt if we got two more wickets before the (second) new ball we'd have a sniff".
He indicated that they might even go for an all-out pace attack. "He didn't bowl his best in the Test. He was under a lot of pressure against guys who play spin exceptionally well. But we won't pick a spinner only if we don't think a spinner has a role to play in a Test. Will wait until we see the pitch. If we feel a spinner won't play a major role that's (four specialist seamers) is always an option."