“Our pace bowling resources will be critical over the next few months so we’re taking a conservative approach to Will’s return to ensure he’s fully fit before he takes the field again.
“Ideally he’ll be able to return for Canterbury in the Plunket Shield in late December, and in a perfect world he’ll be ready to go for the opening Test against Australia in Perth on December 9.”
The 25-year-old O’Rourke has a recent history pockmarked by injury. He returned to action in April, during New Zealand’s white-ball tour of Bangladesh, following seven months out with a back stress fracture. He played all three Tests on the tour of England in June, but suffered a hamstring tear on the final day of the third Test in Nottingham. He hasn’t played competitively since then, with his return to action further postponed by a calf strain that he picked up while training in August.
New Zealand are set to announce their squad for the India series on Sunday. The series will begin with five T20Is from October 22 to November 1, which will be followed by five ODIs, from November 4 to 15, and two Tests, from November 19 to 23 in Wellington and from November 27 to December 1 in Christchurch.