Ind vs NZ, 2nd Test: With Kohli back, hosts look to seal series win
The first Test between India and New Zealand might have ended in an enthralling draw but now the time is over to ponder over what might have been as the second Test is not that far away.
The second Test between India and New Zealand will begin on Friday at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The game will see the return of India skipper Virat Kohli, however, his comeback has left some selection dilemma for the hosts.
With Shreyas Iyer becoming the first Indian debutant to score a century and half-century in his debut Test, he cannot be dropped and with the poor form of Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, the choice has been made all the more difficult on who should go out of the XI to make way for Kohli.
Rahane and Pujara failed to impress with the bat in the first Test, and the road ahead looks difficult for the once-reliable Test batters. However, the management is expected to stick with these two for atleast the Mumbai Test. Wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha suffered a stiff neck in the first Test, so he might make way for Srikar Bharat who can also bat as an opener.
So in all probability, Kohli will come in place of Mayank Agarwal into the lineup. Coming to the bowling scheme of things, Ishant Sharma looked completely out of sorts in the first Test, so Mohammed Siraj can be brought in to add further firepower to the bowling attack which already comprises Umesh Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.
Talking about New Zealand, openers Will Young and Tom Latham were impressive with the bat, but the visitors will look to get more out of the middle-order, especially skipper Kane Williamson.
Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee produced one of the best bowling performances by visiting pacers on an Asian pitch, but the inability to dismiss the lower-order will play on the mind of the visitors.
The World Test Championship (WTC) winners will look to correct their mistakes and go one step ahead to register a memorable Test series win over India.
Squads: India: Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Suryakumar Yadav, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha, KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Md. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt), Tom Blundell, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Will Somerville, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, Will Young.
(ANI)
