Shaken by an unexpected loss on home turf in the series opener in Bengaluru, a star-studded India will be looking to press the reset button and level the series when they take on a confident New Zealand, eyeing a shot at history in the second Test, starting here Thursday.
The Pune Test isn’t just about pride – it’s also about survival. Although India managed to hold on to the top spot in the World Test Rankings standings despite the loss in Bengaluru, another loss would throw them into a precarious position. If they drop this Test, India will need to win four out of their six remaining matches to book a spot in the WTC final. And considering that five of those six Tests are in Australia, it won’t be a cakewalk.
After being shot out for an embarrassing 46 in the first innings at Bengaluru, India’s resolute show in the second innings could not prevent an eight-wicket defeat, and thus Rohit Sharma and his men will prioritise winning the next two Tests before they travel to Australia for a five-match series next month.
With the Indian team hoping to level the series in Pune, the focus has undeniably been on the nature of the pitch at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, that won’t have the grass cover which the New Zealand pacers rejoiced under overcast conditions in Bengaluru. In fact, the pitches in Pune and Mumbai, where the third and final Test will be played from November 1-5, are expected to be slow turners with the bounce being the only difference between the two. The varying bounce is a result of the difference in the soil: black in Pune, and red at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Coming to the team combination, the Indian team management will have to choose between KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan to accommodate the returning Shubman Gill, after missing the first Test due to neck stiffness. Head coach Gautam Gambhir has expressed his desire to give Rahul a long rope but Sarfaraz has made a strong case with his second innings 150 in Bengaluru.
Going by the nature of the pitch and the four left-handers in the opposition line-up, the Indian team has added off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar to their squad, that already has four spinners in offie Ravichandran Ashwin, and the left-arm trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.
The coach also confirmed that wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant will resume his role behind the stumps after recovering from the nasty hit on his surgically-repaired knee on the second day of the first Test. Dhruv Jurel donned the big gloves for the rest of the New Zealand first innings and during their chase of 107 in the second. Pant, however, batted in India’s second innings, scoring a gutsy 99.
“I think he’s going to keep wickets tomorrow. (There are) no other fitness concerns,” Gambhir said.
On the other hand, the BlackCaps will start as a confident bunch having won their first Test on Indian soil after 36 years, and are on the cusp of a rare Test series victory in the subcontinent. Led by the cool and composed Tom Latham, and backed by Devon Conway and the emerging brilliance of Rachin Ravindra, they’re looking more dangerous by the day.
The visitors will once again be without their key batter Kane Williamson, who is yet to recover fully from an injury, but his replacement Will Young has shown determination in the middle order, complementing Ravindra’s impressive performances. However, the team will look for more contributions from Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell, while also hoping that others can replicate Tim Southee’s successes from the first innings of the opening Test.
The quicks — Southee, Matt Henry and William O’Rourke — that dismantled India’s lineup in Bengaluru, will be hoping the Pune pitch offers them something. If Pune serves up a dry, spin-friendly surface, New Zealand could also bring in the experienced Ish Sodhi or Mitchell Santner to bolster the spin attack alongside the likes of Glenn Phillips and Ajaz Patel.
Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar.
New Zealand: Tom Latham (C), Tom Blundell (WK), Michael Bracewell (1st Test only), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi (2nd and 3rd Test only), Tim Southee, Will Young.