New Zealand coach Gary Stead said the team supported Conway’s decision.
“In this environment, family comes first and we are all really excited to welcome Dev and his wife Kim’s first child,” Stead said.
“Mark was recently with the Test team in India and returned with a brilliant 276 in the Plunket Shield – so it’s a great time for him to join us.”
Kane Williamson’s return from a hamstring injury was unfortunate as Young was ruled out of the series against India. Williamson has continued from where he left off, finishing as the team’s leading run-scorer with 195 at 48.75 with two half-centuries.
However, the rest of the line-up was left wanting, especially Conway. The left-handed batsman’s series average fell to 5.25 after he was dismissed for a duck in five balls on Sunday.
Speaking after the defeat at Basin Reserve, Black Caps captain Tom Latham was reluctant to make any further changes for Friday’s match at Seddon Park. The team will reconvene in Hamilton on Wednesday, with Latham keen to assess the conditions before deciding on a different balance of the XI, which has been unchanged for the first two Tests.
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