Why Matt Henry is Not Playing Today in ENG vs NZ 3rd Test?

New Zealand pacer Matt Henry was surprisingly left out of the team's playing 11 for the third Test match against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. Henry recently became the World No. 1 bowler in the ICC Test rankings, which makes his absence even more shocking.

The right-arm pacer is a key player in New Zealand's bowling line-up and has bowled well in this series so far. However, he was left out of the decider, with both teams locked 1-1 at the moment.

Why Matt Henry is Not Playing Today Match?

Matt Henry has a calf strain, which is why he is not playing the ENG vs NZ 3rd Test at Nottingham. He somehow managed his injury during the second Test at The Oval, but has not been risked for this game.

Right-arm pacer Zak Foulkes has come in as Matt Henry replacement for New Zealand. Both have similar qualities, which makes Foulkes the like-for-like replacement for Henry. Foulkes is also a capable batter lower down the order, which makes NZ's batting line-up even stronger.

New Zealand captain Tom Latham won the toss and elected to bat first on a dry surface. The NZ skipper announced three changes for his team in the series-decider. Speaking on Henry, Latham accepted the fact that NZ will miss his experience and skills in these conditions.

Matt Henry's Outstanding Bowling in 2nd Test

Henry is the leader of New Zealand's bowling attack and was instrumental in New Zealand's comeback in the last game. Trailing 0-1 in the series, Matt Henry produced an exceptional performance and took New Zealand to a series-levelling win.

He picked up 12 wickets in two Tests at an average of 13.33 and is the highest wicket-taker of the series so far. Henry took 11 wickets in the match and thus, was adjudged the Player of the Match.

Currently, he is one of the best Test bowlers going around and even climbed to the top of the ICC Test Rankings for bowlers. He now shares the top spot with India's Jasprit Bumrah, who has also been brilliant in this format.