King and Campbell Lead WI to Century Opening Stand After NZ Declare at 575

New Zealand set the tone for the Test by declaring at a commanding 575 for 8, with Conway’s remarkable 227 anchoring the innings. Rachin Ravindra, who was unbeaten on 72, helped extend the innings while solid contributions from Tom Latham (137) and Conway laid the platform.

West Indies 110 for 0 (King 55, Campbell 45) is now trailing by 465 runs. West Indies started their chase confidently, despite New Zealand's massive total. Their openers, King and Campbell, hung in there against the early stuff from the bowlers. King ended up on 55 not out and Campbell on 45, so they put on 110 runs without losing a wicket by stumps. Still 465 to go, but it feels like they have a shot, I think, especially after how tough the day was for the bowling side.

Kemar Roach's Absence and West Indies’ Resilience

The West Indies bowlers showed more discipline on Day 2 than on Day 1. Kemar Roach was out with that hamstring from day one, and it left a big gap in their attack. His fitness is still up in the air, and without him, things were stretched thin. 

Justin Greaves was the standout bowler for the West Indies. He got Kane Williamson out for 31, and that really slowed New Zealand down. Roston Chase bowled an extensive spell of 25 overs and helped fill in for Roach. It was impressive how they managed without some key players.

Improved Bowling and Batting from the West Indies

Overall, after a bad day one, the bowlers found their line and length on day two. They made it tough for the New Zealand batters, even if the total kept climbing. Only Rachin Ravindra went past fifty with 72 not out, but still, New Zealand hit a huge number.

Jayden Seales stood out in that innings. He troubled Devon Conway, who was on like a double hundred already. Some of his balls bounced awkwardly, and Conway had to back away. That was one of the highlights for the West Indies with the ball. Seales’ persistence paid off when Conway was eventually dismissed for 227, with a ball that nipped in and kept low to trap him lbw.

Meanwhile, Greaves’ exceptional bowling to dismiss Williamson was a highlight. He beat the outside edge several times, forcing Williamson to chase a delivery outside off stump. After a series of close calls, Greaves succeeded in dismissing Williamson, with the ball flying through to the keeper. This was the kind of pressure-building bowling missing on Day 1 when Conway and Latham had piled on runs for New Zealand.

West Indies’ Injury Concerns Continue

Ojay Shields and Tagenarine Chanderpaul had injury issues, and then Greaves had to step off for a bit. No subs available, so they called in this 19-year-old local, Sebastian Heath from Tauranga. He's even registered with Denmark cricket, but he did okay filling in.

Matt Henry and Nathan Smith are out in Christchurch, and Blair Tickner is missing the second test. Tom Blundell hurt his hamstring on day one but came back for the third. Even with that, New Zealand played strongly, like Conway's double century that set everything up.

Seales was fired up; you could hear him on the mic cursing after Greaves dropped a catch off Daryl Mitchell in the 127th over. But he kept going at Mitchell, proving the team still had heart despite the mess.

New Zealand’s Challenges and Setbacks

New Zealand’s own injury woes were also significant in this series. Matt Henry and Nathan Smith were sidelined in Christchurch, while Blair Tickner was ruled out of the second Test. Tom Blundell suffered a hamstring issue on Day 1 but recovered in time to return for the third Test. Despite these setbacks, New Zealand has been able to perform strongly, including Conway’s brilliant double-century that set the tone for the Test.

Greaves and Seales Show Heart Despite Adversity

Seales was fired up; you could hear him on the mic cursing after Greaves dropped a catch off Daryl Mitchell in the 127th over. But he kept going at Mitchell, proving the team still had heart despite the mess.

West Indies batting has a long way to go, with King and Campbell carrying the load now. The pitch is helping bowlers, so day three might bring more trouble as they try to stay in it. It seems the injuries are just piling up for them, making the challenge bigger.