WELLINGTON: New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor has failed to recover from a calf injury and been ruled out of the third Test against South Africa, though frontline pace bowler Trent Boult is looking likely to play, selector Gavin Larsen said on Monday.

Boult (upper leg) and Taylor (calf) were injured in the drawn first test in Dunedin and missed the eight-wicket defeat in the second Test to the Proteas at the Basin Reserve, which ended inside three days on Saturday.

Despite the humiliating defeat, Larsen said the squad would remain unchanged for the final game of the three-match series at Seddon Park in Hamilton, which starts on Saturday.

The Seddon Park wicket is expected to take turn, with left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner likely to replace either of the all-rounders Jimmy Neesham or Colin de Grandhomme in the side.

Squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Neil Broom, Henry Nicholls, Jimmy Neesham, B.J. Watling, Mitchell Santner, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Matt Henry.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2017