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Australian captain Pat Cummins has confirmed an unchanged playing XI for the second Test against New Zealand, which begins on Friday at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
This means the successful bowling attack of Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will continue their streak of seven consecutive Tests, contributing to Australia’s recent success in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).
New Zealand to make changes:
While Australia remains steady, New Zealand will introduce at least one change to their lineup. Young fast bowler Will O’Rourke has been ruled out due to injury, paving the way for uncapped seamer Ben Sears to make his Test debut in Christchurch. Additionally, depending on the pitch conditions, spinner Mitchell Santner may replace fast bowler Scott Kuggeleijn.
The Christchurch Test will mark the 100th Test outing for two NZ stalwarts, Kane Williamson and Tim Southee. Despite scoring back to centuries against South Africa, Williamson struggled for runs versus Australia. He departed for 0 and 9 in the Wellington Test.
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Australia retains trophy:
Australia’s dominant win in the first Test at the Basin Reserve secured their 13th consecutive Trans-Tasman Trophy victory. The Blackcaps haven’t tasted success against the Aussies on home soil since 1993.
Australia’s playing XI for the Christchurch Test:
Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
