Mohammad Rizwan will continue to lead Pakistan; New Zealand will be without Neil Wagner
Big picture
New Zealand must be one of the toughest countries to tour recently. The last time a visiting team won a test in New Zealand was in March 2017. It was also the last time New Zealand failed a test series at home. With that as a backdrop, coupled with the fact that they just defeated the West Indies with a hotel in Continuing Trials, New Zealand have always been an option against Pakistan.
Pakistan must have missed a draw in the first test to build their confidence. But they suffered a halt on Saturday when Babar Azam was also removed from the second Test. Mohammad Rizwan will once again lead the side under which Pakistan had shown a big fight in Mount Maunganui, but if the visitors want to pull off the series, they need to go up their main order.
New Zealand, on the other hand, will have an eye on the future. Winning here will strengthen their chances of qualifying for the final of next year’s Lord’s World Test Championship. More quickly, they can claim the top spot in the ICC Test rankings if they beat Pakistan 2-0, even if that changes after the Australia-India series ends.
What works in favor of New Zealand is that they have a good knowledge of the situation of the home. Against the West Indies, Tom Latham took the lead in opening the bat in the country, and in the final Test, their mattresses showed how they hunted as a pack and bowled side by side. out on the fifth day in New Zealand. Nonetheless, the team that emerges in Christchurch is the team that can survive in the present day.
Form instructions
New Zealand WWWWW (last five completed games, most recent first)
Pakistan LDDLW
In mind
Kane Williamson trying his best to avoid the light, but it will not be easy for him to remain invisible in the middle. It is not only New Zealand fulcrum batting but also the level 1 batting in test cricket. With his recent form – he has scores of 129, 21 and 251 in his last three innings – Williamson ‘s early elimination will be half the battle won, no matter what. what one would say is that New Zealand is not dependent on a single player.
After Barnes-esque began his career, Mohammad Abbas‘form air nosedived. In his last 12 tests, he only picked up 23 wikis at an average of 38.91 and a strike rate of 99.5. While New Zealand pitches typically support seam bowling, especially in the first innings, Abbas put just two wickets in 42 innings in the first test. If Pakistan needs to balance the league, Abbas will have to deliver with the new member.
Team news
New Zealand are once again prone to a quadruple distance attack, with Mitchell Santner as the single spinner. That means Matt Henry should replace Neil Wagner, who was ruled out due to two broken toes.
New Zealand XI (possibly): 1 Tom Latham, 2 Tom Blundell, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Matt Henry , 11 Trent Boult
With Azam still unmatched, Pakistan can go with XI unchanged.
Pakistan XI (possibly): 1 Shan Masood, 2 Abid Ali, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Haris Sohail, 5 Fawad Alam, 6 Mohammad Rizwan (capt & wk), 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Mohammad Abbas, 10 Shaheen Afridi, 11 Naseem Shah
Park and conditions
The pitch at the Hagley Oval tends to help mattresses on the first day or two before the humidity dries and the batting will be easier on the final day. The wind is expected to be windy and cloudy throughout the life of the Test with scattered showers expected on the fifth day.
Stats and trivia
- New Zealand have climbed the longest win they have won in test cricket. They had also recorded five subsequent winners from April 2005 to March 2006.
- New Zealand have won five, lost one and drawn one of the seven Tests they played at the Hagley Oval.
- Tim Southee has 300 wicks from 76 Tests; 99 of those have come in his last 20 trials at an average of 22.63 and a strike rate of 47.5.
Hemant Brar is sub-editor of ESPNcricinfo