New Zealand head coach Gary Stead has expressed confidence that Kane Williamson will be fit to return for New Zealand’s first Test of the summer at home against England, scheduled for November 28 to December 2 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

The New Zealand management opted not to risk Williamson for the upcoming Test in Mumbaiis set to start on Friday, choosing instead to take a cautious approach with his recovery. The 34-year-old Williamson suffered a groin injury during New Zealand’s recent tour of Sri Lanka, just before the three-match Test series opener in India.

“Yeah, very confident,” Stead said of Williamson’s availability for the first Test against England. “I mean at a push we could have brought him here (to India) straight away, but with the travel factor and making sure you can recover properly when you get here, we didn’t feel it was worth it. So we are happy to have him ready and very, very confident that he will be fit for the first Test against England.

Despite Williamson’s absence in the India series, New Zealand achieved a historic milestone by securing their first Test series win in the country. Will Young, who stepped in at No.3, impressed with his resilience against Indian bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin, adapting well to the tough conditions in Bengaluru and Pune.

Stead said he hoped Williamson would use the time off to prepare for the England series.

“Look, it’s always disappointing when he’s not here with us,” Stead said of Williamson. “I mean, he’s New Zealand’s leading Test scorer for a reason and I think any time you’ve got Kane in your side it looks a stronger side. But the boys did very well.

“We’ve adapted well without him here. The best thing for Kane is just to get it right for England and we’re certainly looking forward to him coming back and hopefully making a difference in that Test series over there for us. “

New Zealand have an outside chance of reaching the World Test Championship final but must win all 4 remaining matches.