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India look to draw level while NZ aim whitewash in Christchurch

By Mumbai Indians

After a ten-wicket victory at Wellington, the spirits in the Kiwi dressing room will be high ahead of the Christchurch game with 60 points at stake in the ICC World Test Championship. On the other hand, Virat Kohli and Co. will look to redeem themselves and come back strongly to draw level.

Here are the five talking points ahead of the second Test:

Ishant, Shaw doubtful starters

Ishant Sharma, India’s in-form pacer, is doubtful with his ankle injury reoccurring. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will be expected to up the ante alongside Umesh Yadav who is likely to play in his absence.

Prithvi Shaw didn’t take part in the training session on Thursday owing to a swollen foot. If he doesn’t recover on time, we may see Shubman Gill in action. The youngster registered scores of 83, 204* and 136 for India ‘A’ in their shadow tour of New Zealand.

Hunting grounds for Trent Boult

After an onslaught against the Indian batsmen in the first Test, Trent Boult will look to continue the trend at Christchurch where he holds a great record, i.e. 37 wickets. The No.1 ranked Test bowler picked a nine-wicket haul, the last time he played a Test at the Hagley Oval.

Mayank Agarwal eyes landmark

Mayank Agarwal has displayed splendid form ever since he made his Test debut. The 29-year old is all set to become the second-fastest Indian to 1000 Test runs if he completes the landmark in the second Test. He requires 36 more runs to reach the milestone. Vinod Kambli is the fastest Indian to this landmark in just 14 innings.

Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls have good memories at Christchurch

While Kane Williamson stood up in the first Test scoring 89, the other batsmen will also look to contribute. The likes of Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls scored centuries in their last Test on this ground against the visiting Lankans which may inspire confidence. Ross Taylor looked good in Wellington and will be keen on getting a big knock.

Will the senior batsmen step up?

The quick dismissals of Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara hurt India’s prospects in the first Test. With both being India’s best batsmen in the traditional format, the onus will be on them as well as Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari to extend their stay at the crease. Vihari had earlier registered a ton, while Pujara made 93 in the warm-up game.

The second and the final Test between India and New Zealand is scheduled to begin from 4:00 AM IST at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.