The Auckland wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins will fly to Adelaide today as cover for the Black Caps vice captain Brendan McCullum who was injured in their 32-run loss to Australia in third Chappell-Hadlee match in Sydney last night.
McCullum will have scans on his shoulder today after being struck by a rearing Kyle Mills delivery while standing up to the stumps in the early stages of the match.... he required pain-killing injections to complete the game.
Captain Daniel Vettopri says early on McCullum wasn't going to bat and all of a sudden he appeared from nowhere with his pads on.... for him to be able to hit the ball as cleanly as he did he's probably not too bad..... he's hoping for the best.
Australia, meanwhile, have dropped the rookie New South Wales batsman David Warner and the replacement fast bowler Ryan Harris for this week's matches in Adelaide and Brisbane.
Warner has lost his place to Ricky Ponting, who has decided to just have a one-match break, while Harris will make way for the Victorian fast bowler Peter Siddle.
The 4th match is in Adelaide tomorrow.
