India vs New Zealand 2nd Test: Team India is currently playing a three-Test series against New Zealand at home. The second match will be played tomorrow (October 24) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. This match will start at 9.30am. Team New Zealand took a 1-0 lead in the series with victory in the first game.
The Indian team, captained by Rohit Sharma, was greatly hurt by the loss in the first match. If Rohit’s brigade wants to make a comeback in the series against New Zealand, then they will have to pick the perfect No. 11 for the second game.
Going on tour in Australia next month
India were bowled out for just 46 runs in the first innings of the first Test match in Bangalore. He bowled well in the second innings but despite this, he had to face an eight-wicket defeat. The Indian team currently tops the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings but had to drop some points due to a loss in the first match.
Before heading to Australia next month for a five-Test series, the Rohit Sharma-led side’s priority will be to perform well in the next two games against New Zealand. Furthermore, by winning the current series, we will have to take a strong position in the WTC.
Preparing helpful pitches for spinners
The pitch at the MCA Stadium in Pune has been prepared according to Indian conditions. There is no grass here, it’s made of black soil, and New Zealand’s fast bowlers don’t bounce as much on black soil as they do in Bangalore.
New Zealand’s fast bowlers William O’Rourke, Matt Henry and Tim Southee gave the Indian batsmen a lot of trouble in the first game. In such situations, India can prepare to turn wickets, but this move has backfired in the past as well. Australia defeated India by 333 runs here 8 years ago. The team defeated India by 9 wickets in last year’s match in Indore.
Who will be out among Gill, Rahul and Sarfaraz?
Shubman Gill is all set to make a comeback. And one of KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan will have to make room for him. Head coach Gautam Gambhir was in favor of giving more opportunities to Rahul, but Sarfaraz confirmed his claim by scoring 150 in the second innings in Bengaluru.
India expects good games from senior batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Kohli, who scored an unbeaten 254 runs against South Africa in 2019-20, will hope to take inspiration from it to play an exciting innings.
The Indian team management may have preferred Rahul, but the batsman has been struggling to score runs for some time now. On the other hand, Sarfaraz, after scoring an unbeaten 222 runs for Mumbai in the Iran Cup, played a brilliant game of 150 runs in unfavorable conditions in Bengaluru.
India also has problems with bowling
Rishabh Pant wicket-keeping for some time in Tuesday’s practice session and it remains to be seen whether he is fully fit for the second Test. India’s problems are not limited to batting.
There were some issues with his bowling as well. In particular, fast bowler Mohammad Siraj’s consecutive poor performances remain a cause for concern. In such a situation, the team management can give a chance to Aakashdeep, who also practiced batting vigorously on Tuesday.
If the pitch helps the spin bowlers, then Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will want to make the most of it. Washington Sundar was also included in the squad. If he is included in the starting eleven, it will strengthen India’s batting ability. As far as New Zealand is concerned, Rachin Ravindra hit a century in the first Test match but his team will also be looking to make useful contributions from other batsmen.
India-New Zealand Test series line-up:
Team India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ku Deepip Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar
Team New Zealand: Tom Latham (captain), Tom Brundle (weekly), Michael Bracewell (first test only), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi (Second and Third Tests only), Tim Southee, Kane Williamson and Will Young.
