New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor has been declared fit to play in the opening day-night Test against England, captain Kane Williamson announced.
The reoccurrence of a quad injury forced Taylor to miss the one-day international series decider with England, having batted on one leg during his stunning unbeaten 181-run knock in the fourth ODI.
But Taylor – boasting 17 tons and 28 half-centuries for 6,246 runs in 83 matches – has overcome the injury and is set to face the tourists in the first of two Tests, starting in Auckland on Thursday.
"He's good to go so that's great news for us," Williamson told reporters on Wednesday.
"Roscoe has played beautifully every time he's walked out to the crease, the calmness at the crease, the confidence.
"It's reflected in how much success he's had this year. It's important for us as a team that he's there."
The historic day-night match at Eden Park will be the first pink-ball Test in New Zealand.
New Zealand are no strangers to day-night cricket, having lost the inaugural match away to Australia in 2015.
"There is probably a danger of over complicating some of the finer parts of the pink-ball game," added Williamson, who said Todd Astle is set to replace spinner Mitchell Santner while BJ Batling will return as wicketkeeper.
"There's definitely some unknowns. There's a lot of talk about the evening session and the condition of the ball in that time.
"There's heaps of different stats but there's still unknowns. The sample size of pink-ball cricket is fairly small but it's important that you adapt as a change of conditions may happen coming into different stages of the day."
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