Last Updated on 1 month by Charbel Coorey
IND vs NZ 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs NZ 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Today| India vs New Zealand 2nd Test Match Key Players | Mumbai Pitch Report
So, the juggernaut of India-New Zealand Test series moves to the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai where the two best Test teams in the world will battle for supremacy following a stalemate at Kanpur.
The 1st Test may have ended in a draw but it was arguably a perfect advertisement for the longest format of the game considering the fact every skill – spin, pace, batting – was on display over the course of five days.
That said, it is worth mentioning that both sides were guilty of not seizing the initiative at various points during the Test. Let’s start with the home side.
India have been the most consistent side – home and away – in the last five years but over the course of the last 18-20 months, they have underperformed with the bat and either it’s their openers – Rohit Sharma – or their lower-middle-order that has bailed them out.
Rohit wasn’t there in Kanpur and one could easily notice the difference it made. Once again the experienced duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane failed to rise to the occasion and it was only debutant Shreyas Iyer and handy lower-order contributions by Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha and Axar Patel across both innings that saved the day for the home team.
As for New Zealand, the visitors erred by picking an extra spinner in place of a third pacer. They didn’t stick to their strength and it came back to haunt them on the 4th day when their spinners failed to back up the good work done by the likes of Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee.
Also, it is worth pointing out that Williamson wasn’t too attacking in his tactics after he had India on the ropes at 5/51. As far as batting is concerned, New Zealand’s middle-over-led by Kane and Ross Taylor failed to back up the good work done by their openers, especially Tom Latham. In the 4th innings, New Zealand didn’t show any intent during the run-chase despite a solid platform laid by Latham and Somerville.
Having said that, it was still a great effort by the visiting side to enforce a draw at Kanpur, something most visiting sides have failed to do in India in the last decade. With Mumbai set to be more suited to their pacers, the world Test champions have a great opportunity to pull off an unprecedented heist. But will they? Let’s wait and see.
Key Players to Watch/Key Stats
India:
- Shubman Gill: Gill may have scored a half-century in the first innings but the repeated nature of his dismissals against seamers is a cause for concern. The young opener will look to rectify the obvious chink in his technique against the moving ball in Mumbai.
- Cheteshwar Pujara: Pujara had a poor series at home against England earlier this year as he managed just 133 runs in 6 innings at 22.16 and it seems like it wasn’t a blip given how he performed in the Kanpur Test.
- Pujara managed scores of 26 and 22 in Kanpur. He hasn’t scored a Test hundred since January 2019 and with his home performances on a consistent decline, it is high time the veteran batter posts a huge score at Wankhede. Pujara’s record in Mumbai: 301 runs in three matches at 75.25 with two hundreds.
- Shreyas Iyer: The 26-year-old couldn’t have asked for a better debut Test. He smashed a brilliant ton in the first innings and backed it up with a match-saving 65 in the second. Iyer will definitely play the second Test but at whose expense is what remains to be seen.
- Virat Kohli: After a well-deserved break, skipper Kohli will be back to lead the team at a venue where he has enjoyed a lot of success in the past. Kohli hasn’t scored a Test hundred since November 2019 and with the middle-order horribly out of form, India desperately wants their skipper to rise to the occasion.
- Kohli’s last three scores in Test cricket: 44, 50, 55. His Test record in Mumbai: 433 runs in four games at 72.16 with one hundred (235 vs England in 2016).
- Ravichandran Ashwin: The champion spinner was once again at the height of his powers as an all-rounder in Kanpur. Apart from troubling the opposition batters with his bag full of tricks (6 wickets), Ashwin chipped in with handy contributions with the bat in both innings: 38 & 32.
- Axar Patel: He claimed yet another five-wicket-haul in Kanpur to help India restrict New Zealand to 296 in the first innings. The left-arm orthodox will once again hold the key in Mumbai.
- Ravindra Jadeja: Jadeja chipped in with both bat and ball every time India found themselves in trouble in Kanpur. He scored a much-needed 50 (112 balls) in the first innings and then ran though NZ’s middle-order during the last session of day five.
New Zealand:
- Tom Latham: The southpaw is one of the best Test openers going around and he once again proved it to the hilt in Kanpur.
- Latham was easily the best batter on show for the visitors. He scored a 282-ball 95 in the first innings before backing it up with another patient 146-ball 52 in the second.
- Will Young: The young opener gave a great account of himself in the first innings as he scored a pristine 214-ball 89. He was unlucky to be adjudged LBW in the second innings when the ball was clearly sliding down leg. He will once again be the key for the Kiwis in Mumbai.
- Kane Williamson: The New Zealand skipper’s poor display in Tests in India continued in Kanpur as he managed scores of 18 & 24. If New Zealand are aiming for glory in Mumbai, they will want their skipper to lead from the front.
- Tim Southee: The veteran seamer further enhanced his reputation in Asia as he produced one of the best spells by a visiting seamer in India in recent times.
- He claimed a five-wicket-haul in the first innings (5/69) and then backed it up with three crucial second innings wickets. With the pitch in Mumbai set to aid seamers, he could prove to be a real handful.
- Kyle Jamieson: The tall quick also further enhanced his reputation in Kanpur as he proved that he doesn’t need tailormade conditions to bully batters.
- Jamieson claimed six wickets across both innings and with Wankhede pitch set to future suit his skill sets, he could well prove to be the difference between both sides.
Stats and Facts
- Last time New Zealand played a Test (in 1988) in Mumbai, they won by 126 runs. That remains their last Test win in India. Overall, the Kiwis have played two Tests in Mumbai, losing the other one in 1976.
- Since the start of 2000, India have lost four out of nine Tests in Mumbai. They won four of those while one ended in a draw.
- India are yet to lose a Test series at home since 2012/13. If New Zealand manage a win in Mumbai then they will become the first team to win India in a home Test series under Virat Kohli.
Possible Playing 11
India:
In an ideal world, India should just make a simple swap: Drop Rahane for Virat Kohli.
But, with Rahane unlikely to be dropped, we could see Mayank Agarwal facing the axe. Who opens with Gill in that case? Either it’ll be Pujara or even Saha who, Virat Kohli confirmed he’s recovered from a neck niggle.
Also, Ishant Sharma could make way for Mohammed Siraj.
Likely XI: Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli © , Ajinkya Rahane , Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj
New Zealand:
The Kiwis might be tempted to drop one spinner and bring back Neil Wagner given the fact that Mumbai traditionally aids seamers.
But, who they will drop in that case, is what remains to be seen.
Likely XI: Tom Latham, Will Young, Kane Williamson ©, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (WK), Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, Will Somerville/Neil Wagner
Mumbai Pitch Report and Conditions
Mumbai has been greeted with rain in the last couple of days and while the weather is expected to be fair on all five days, one can expect a bit of moisture in the pitch.
Traditionally, the pitch at Wankhede offers good pace and bounce but batsmen also tend to enjoy the true nature of the surface. However, due to red soil, spinners will come into play as the game progresses into days three, four and five.
As far as the weather is concerned, while it’s been raining for a couple of days in Mumbai, it’s not likely to affect the proceedings of the Test over the next five days.
Dream11 Prediction
Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time.
Option 1:
Team 02:
Fan2Play Prediction
Base team:
- Wicket-keepers: KS Bharat
- Batsmen: Virat Kohli, Tom Latham, Shreyas Iyer
- All-rounders: R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja
- Bowlers: Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee
Match Prediction
India will start as favourites, but New Zealand stand a chance especially if they get the chance to set a total. If not, then India will need to play well against New Zealand’s seamers.