Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Watson out of first Test with hip injury

Updated at 1:19 pm on 20 March 2010

The Australian opening batsman Shane Watson is out of the first cricket Test against New Zealand with a hip injury.

Watson was hit by a delivery from paceman Mitchell Johnson in the nets earlier this week and was unable to train fully at Wellington's Basin Reserve.

Phillip Hughes, the 21-year-old left-hander who made two centuries in his debut series in South Africa in 2009, has been recalled for Watson.

The team physio Alex Kountouris says they hope Watson would be available for the second Test in Hamilton starting next weekend.

Queensland pace bowler Ryan Harris will make his debut, taking the place of Peter Siddle who is out for several months with a back injury.

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