Match Updates
Indian at this stage are two down and looking pretty good in hand. The Indian bowlers need to regroup themselves and try to break this partnership if the match has to be in some control.
New Zealand skipper Tom Latham decided to bat first after winning the toss at Pune, and Latham and his team walked into the field. The dry pitch, and it had been a test enough to make it easy for the spinners, was perfect enough to decide on batting first. Especially in light of losing the first Test, and trailing by 0-1 in the series, it was a good call from Latham.
Playing XIs:
- New Zealand: Tom Latham (capt.), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Will O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel.
- India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (capt.), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep.
Changes in New Zealand
New Zealand have opted to go with their natural batting order, so Kane Williamson is in despite being unfit. A slight injury to Matt Henry saw New Zealand opt for Mitchell Santner instead, who would bring another spin option with the conditions. Santner has been woefully poor on this tour of Sri Lanka, and was also expected to shore up New Zealand's batting.
India's Three Changes
Three changes were brought into India's playing XI in the hope of bouncing back into the series. The most stunning was Washington Sundar, who wasn't even part of the original team. This ploy possibly was to give India more batting depth and a spinner who could challenge New Zealand's left-handed batters. Shubman Gill returned to his No. 3 spot as KL Rahul gave way for him after he had missed the previous game. Sarfaraz Khan, after his sizzling hundred in the last game, was retained. For Mohammed Siraj, who has looked promising though hasn't been too good at picking wickets at regular intervals, it was Akash Deep.
Devon Conway Shines
On Day 1, an authoritative batter Devon Conway was at the forefront of things, the first half-century going with due confidence. Solid support came in the form of Rachin Ravindra, helping New Zealand not get in a mess as they got their two wickets. Still, boundaries kept flowing off his bat for Conway, embarrassing Indian bowlers who are looking for early breaks to change the momentum.
India eye a turnaround
New Zealand did indeed fly out of the blocks, but India have been hopeful that they can get back into the game with some early wickets. The spinners are bound to play a massive role in this game. And the onus will be on Indian spinners to make good use of their conditions as the match continues.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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