Big picture
India has experienced this situation previously. It has been rare in the recent past, but they have found themselves trailing 1-0 in a Test series played at home. It occurred versus Australia in 2017, and later against England in 2021 and 2024. They managed to come back and win the series all three times.
Both of those series, nonetheless, consisted of four Tests. India’s present generation has never before found themselves in the current scenario they are facing against New Zealand: trailing 1-0 in a home series with just two Tests remaining.
It places a significant amount of stress on them. Defeating India while playing in India is still the most difficult task in Test cricket currently, however, visiting teams have been successful in winning Test matches here more often in recent years. It could be a indication of a shift from one era to another, highlighting the cricketing aging of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma.
Nevertheless, India still hold a strong advantage as the second Test commences on Thursday. New Zealand emerged victorious in Bengaluru due to a combination of favorable weather conditions and a tricky pitch that caused India to make incorrect decisions regarding the toss and team selection. New Zealand was ready to make the same coin toss decision if Tom Latham had guessed correctly.
Rarely does a visiting team arrive for a Test match in India and discover conditions more favorable for their performance than the home team. Prior to Bengaluru 2024, such occurrences had only taken place twice in this century: Nagpur 2004 and Ahmedabad 2008.
Pune will be different from Bengaluru. India has ensured that the series now includes the crucial element it was missing: home advantage. The exact behavior of the Pune pitch will only be known once the match starts, but it is expected to be less beneficial for New Zealand’s fast bowlers and more advantageous for India’s spin attack to showcase their superior skills and control. India may not achieve the desired outcome against the excellent New Zealand team, but regardless of the result, they will face their fate on their own terms.
In the spotlight
Shubman Gill has elevated his Test batting performance significantly after switching to the No. 3 position last year, with an average of 43.23 in 11 matches and three centuries. He completed his usual practice session before the second Test, indicating he will likely be back in India’s team for the match, having sat out the Bengaluru Test due to a neck issue. Having Gill back at No. 3 will bring stability to India’s batting lineup, as the players below him will be in their usual positions.
After coming back to the New Zealand Test team in December 2023, Glenn Phillips has managed to secure 23 wickets in nine Tests with an average of 26.47. Among all spin bowlers who have taken at least 15 wickets during this period, only Keshav Maharaj, Nathan Lyon, and India’s top three bowlers have superior averages. Until recently, he was seen as a part-timer, but now he holds an impressive record as an offspinner. Phillips delivered 15 overs in the second innings in Bengaluru and managed to take the wicket of Virat Kohli. He might need to handle more work on a friendlier pitch in Pune, despite New Zealand strengthening their spin attack, and could have a significant impact on the game by taking a major wicket or two. His skill to quickly score towards the end of the batting order could also be useful, especially if it’s a low-scoring Test.
SARFARAZ VS RAHUL
India has two important choices to make regarding their starting eleven. When Gill comes back, they will need to drop either KL Rahul, who has performed well in a limited number of tests with a century and two fifties since moving to the middle order last year, or Sarfaraz Khan, who scored a brilliant hundred in the second innings in Bengaluru. The decision also involves the second seamer: should Akash Deep replace Mohammed Siraj, who has only taken 19 wickets at an average of 36.15 in his 13 home Tests, despite looking comfortable in Indian conditions during his short Test career so far? India will probably continue to field three spinners as they anticipate the dry pitch to benefit them greatly. There is currently no significant cause to consider anyone other than Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, and Kuldeep Yadav, although Washington Sundar and Axar Patel are proving themselves as allrounders.
India’s lineup will consist of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma as captain, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant as wicketkeeper, KL Rahul or Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj or Akash Deep.
Even though New Zealand is leading 1-0, they may face a tougher decision in selection compared to India, as it could mean altering the composition of their Bengaluru bowling lineup. The conditions in Pune are not favorable for swing and seam bowlers, New Zealand might have to drop one of their fast bowlers – possibly their former captain Tim Southee or Will O’Rourke, who claimed seven wickets in Bengaluru – and include another spinner. It could be either the left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner or the legspinner Ish Sodhi, who has arrived.
Leave a Reply