The mighty Kiwis who are on a roll will once again take on the Pakistanis in the longest format of the game. The second test of the 2-match series is set to be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Sunday.
The kiwis will go into the match with a 1-0 lead leaving the visitors only the luxury of levelling the series. Mohammad Rizwan and Co. showed great character in the second innings of the first test and one stage did look like they would be able to draw the encounter. But the perseverance of the hosts proved better than the visitors.
The match was sealed in favor of the home team by 101 runs eventually after the Pakistanis were bundled out for 271 runs. The Kiwis batting first managed to notch up 431 runs in the first innings and going into the second innings with a lead of close to 190 always meant the visitors only possibility was to draw the game.
The T20I series saw the Pakistan team bounce back in the last match to evade an embarrassing 3-0 whitewash. Said that, in the test format, Blackcaps have been in elite form and the recent rise to the No.1 rankings would make them even more pumped up.
Will the Men in Green be able to bounce back and level the series 1-1? Or will the Kiwis continue their winning streak?
Match Toss Time: 10:00 Local (03:00 IST)
Match Start Time: 11:00 Local (03:30 IST)
Match Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Weather Report
The conditions are well in favor of cricket as clear skies are expected throughout the course of the game. The temperature is expected to be hovering in the 22-13 degree celsius range and the humidity at peak is expected to float in the early fifties.
Pitch
A very busy stadium until the forced lockdown, is expected to host a number of matches in the coming days. When you think of New Zealand we usually tend to think of the batting paradises on offer. Though the pitch in Hagley Oval has also been friendly to the bowlers and the slowness on the pitch is definitely to make the batsmen struggle to get runs. Anything more than 180 would be very difficult to chase in the 4th innings.
Team News
New Zealand have been doing a wonderful job in all formats of the game and also managed to stun the visitors in the absence of their skipper Kane Williamson, in the first T20I international. The first test saw the kiwis once again at their best and they will be looking forward to featuring the same combination for the second test. Considering the rankings scenarios the kiwis will not be experimenting too much.
Pakistan on the other side managed to bounce back in the second innings but it was too late for them to make an impact. All-rounder Haris Sohail looks to be struggling with his form and Pakistan would be looking to replace him with Sarfaraz Ahmed, which is likely to strengthen their batting line-up.
Probable Playing Xl
New Zealand (NZ): Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling (wk), Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult
Pakistan (Pak): Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail/Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Faheem Ashraf, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah
NZ vs Pak Fantasy Team
BJ Walting, Mohammad Rizwan, Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Shaheen Afridi
Captain Picks: Kane Williamson (NZ), Azhar Ali (Pak)
Vice-captain picks: Faheem Ashraf (Pak), Mitchell Santner (NZ)
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