Table of Contents
Team India faces an uphill task of negotiating the pace attack of New Zealand in the second Test match at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, starting February 29.
The number one ranked team in the world was absolutely blown away by the hosts in the first Test match at Basin Reserve in Wellington.
With Neil Wagner back, the Kiwis may come up with a five-pronged pace attack featuring Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson, and Colin de Grandhomme, looking at the tennis court like green-pitch at Christchurch.
Spot the pitch 🤔🤔#NZvIND pic.twitter.com/gCbyBKsgk9
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 27, 2020
The comprehensive 10-wicket loss at Wellington posed a lot of unanswered questions for the Indians in the second Test. How long will the run-drought continue for skipper Virat Kohli? Will Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami turn it around for the final game in the New Zealand tour?
It surely will be a tossup between Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for the preferred spinner in the side. With the dip in Ashwin batting abilities and India’s struggles with the bat, Ravi Shastri and Co. will be looking at elongating their batting lineup with Jadeja’s batting credentials.
India has been unlucky as far as the toss is concerned. Toss being a crucial factor in New Zealand, both teams would like to win the toss and put the opposition to bat first. The hosts have won their last ten home Tests while bowling first.
Hey .@rogerfederer ..Like to be a cricketer? They have made a pitch in Christchurch similar to the grass courts of Wimbledon.#NZvIND pic.twitter.com/TIlUg5J6Wm
— OMG (@omgs_tweets) February 28, 2020
Bumrah and Shami would quickly like to learn from the Kiwi pacers and look to hit key areas at Hagley Oval. The top-ranked team in the World Test Championship would want to dislodge tail-enders as quickly as possible to seize the advantage in the 2nd Test match.
Squads:
India
Virat Kohli (c), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma
New Zealand
Kane Williamson (Captain), Henry Nicholls, Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Tom Latham, BJ Watling, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry.
