New Zealand vs India, New Zealand vs India 2020, Today Match Prediction 21 Feb 2020

nz vs ind Match Prediction & Analysis

India and New Zealand team whitewashed the other team in the T20I and ODI format respectively. Both teams lock horns in the toughest format of cricket- test matches.

Indian team is on a roll and is yet to lose a point in the ICC Test Championship table after 3 completed series (2 home & 1 away). They will look to win Test matches in SENA countries and register their dominance in World Cricket.

New Zealand team is one of the very good teams in their home conditions for the last 3 years and has won 5 series and has never lost a Test match in that period in home. They come off after a 0-3 drubbing against Australia in their last series.

TEAMS PREVIEW

New Zealand Preview

New Zealand team will be high on confidence after reverse sweeping India in the ODIs after T20I whitewash. Tom Blundell and Tom Latham will open the batting for the Kiwis with Blundell having good success at the top in Australia. They have an experienced batting line-up in the middle order with the likes of Skipper Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, and Keeper BJ Watling in the ranks. Colin De GrandHomme adds great value to the team with his all-round skills. Tim Southee, Trent Boult, and Neil Wagner will form a pace attack of the team and will be raring to go against Indian batsmen. Matt Henry or debutant Kyle Jamieson may get a nod ahead instead of spinner Ajaz Patel in the team.

Key Players:

Tom Blundell – Tom Blundell scored the lone century against Australia in the last series in tough conditions. He will look to prove his worth with continued good performances in this series too.

Neil Wagner – Neil Wagner has risen to No.2 rank in ICC rating with his impressive bowling in the last 2-3 years. Wagner will test the Indian batsmen with his short-pitched conditions in this series.

New Zealand Predicted Playing XI:

Kane Williamson (c), Tom Blundell, Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling (Wk), Colin De GrandHomme, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry/Kyle Jamieson

New Zealand Actual Playing XI:

Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Ajaz Patel, Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, KS Williamson, Trent Boult, TA Blundell, BJ Watling, TG Southee, Kyle Jamieson

India Preview

Team India is one of the best traveling team in recent years competing well against England & South Africa and bettering Australia in their home conditions. Skipper Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane will together form one of the quality middle orders for the team. Mayank Agarwal will be partnered by one of the young talents between Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill. Ravi Jadeja will pip Ravi Ashwin as the lone spinner in the team. Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma return from injury and are expected to combine with Mohammed Shami to form a lethal pace attack for the team.

India will have a dilemma for a lone spot between the likes of Hanuma Vihari (6th Batsmen) or Umesh Yadav (4th pacer) in the playing XI with the former expected to get a nod ahead.

Key Players:

Virat Kohli – Virat Kohli is having a silent time in the limited-overs for his standard and will look to make the right noise with the bat in the tests. Kohli will be a big factor in the batting line-up for Team India`s success.

Jasprit Bumrah – All eyes are set on Jasprit Bumrah after he returns to Test squad from injury and average ODI series where he took no wickets in Test matches. Never count out a bowler of Bumrah`s caliber at any situation.

India Predicted Playing XI:

Mayank Agarwal, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubamn Gill/Prithvi Shaw, Virat Kohli (c), Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami

India Actual Playing XI:

Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, Mayank Agarwal, H Vihari, Prithvi Shaw, Ishant Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, JJ Bumrah, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The first two days will have cloud cover and the remaining days will be sunny with very less chances of rain on all days.

Venue Details

Wellington pitch will be tough to bat on Day 1 and it gets better on Days 2 &3. The pitch never deteriorates on days 4 & 5 and spinners will find very little support on this track. We can expect teams to score more runs in 2nd & 3rd innings.

Toss: To Bowl

New Zealand has 4-1 win-loss ratio for teams batting second in test and is the only place to favour Batting second in the recent years in test matches.