Deadline: February 29, 2020 at 4 AM IST
Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Pitch report
The team batting second has won 5 of 6 Tests at the venue — 4 of which went in New Zealand’s favour. To make things interesting, the pitch has a thick blanket of grass resting on it. Both captains will look to bowl first.
Fantasy team
We have opted for a fantasy team on the basis of players’ impact, recent performances, and credit points.
You can also check players’ performances in the last 5 matches. Tap on the players’ images to get the data while making your fantasy team.
Wicketkeeper: Tom Latham
Batsmen: Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Kane Williamson (c), Henry Nicholls
All-rounders: Colin de Grandhomme
Bowlers: Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Tim Southee, Trent Boult (vc)
NOTE: Pick your fantasy cricket team wisely.
Power players
Trent Boult and Tim Southee have sniped up 69 wickets between them at the Hagley Oval, averaging 21. Southee especially was spectacular in the first Test: he was adjudged Player of the Match for claiming 9 for 110 in the Test.
Ishant Sharma has taken 29 wickets since 2019, including three five-wicket hauls. He was the only Indian bowler who consistently pushed the New Zealand batsmen on the back foot.
Only Mayank Agarwal and Kane Williamson could score a half-century at Wellington. On a pitch that had lateral movement for the pacers, they made sure they keep the scoreboard ticking and distract the pacer. Meanwhile, other batsmen perished while playing the defensive game for longer periods.
Value picks
In 9 innings on the ongoing tour, Virat Kohli has managed only one half-century. He has even dropped to No. 2 in ICC Test Rankings for batsmen. That being said, the dip in form means that he’ll raise his game higher and you never know what comes your way when it comes to Kohli.
Kyle Jamieson‘s debut could not have been better. He started off his Test journey with the all-important wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara, then removing Virat Kohli in the very next over.
Ajinkya Rahane looked good but in bits and pieces. On both occasions, he perished despite getting set. He will have to bat longer and provide impetus if India are to level the series. In all, he has accumulated 327 runs at 47.4 in New Zealand.
Of the current lot, only Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls have scored a century at the venue. While Latham has collected 475 runs in 6 Tests, Nicholls has managed 313 in a Test fewer.
Neil Wagner, the No. 2 bowler in ICC Test Rankings, will be back to the grind. Watch out for his lethal bouncers.
Probable XIs
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling (wk), Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner
India: Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin/Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah
Also, get to know the tips & tricks on how to play fantasy cricket.
