Fresh from an emphatic eight-wicket thrashing of the hosts in Christchurch, England heads to Wellington for the second Test looking to clinch the series.
The dominating victory for the visitors in 1st test was scripted by Brydon Carse’s incredible 10-wicket match haul – a feat no England quick has achieved overseas since Ryan Sidebottom in 2008 -, Harry Brook’s 100 in the first innings, and debutant Jacob Bethell’s blazing unbeaten fifty in the 2nd innings.
Despite this, the Kiwis have a history of bouncing back, as seen in their remarkable come-from-behind series draw against England last year. With veteran Tim Southee playing his final Test series, New Zealand will want to send him off on a high note.
Above all England will be keeping a close eye on Ben Stokes’ lower back stiffness, which affected his bowling in the first Test, while the Kiwis urgently need to boost their top order’s contribution, which accounted for just 12.5% of total runs in Christchurch.
Also read: IPL 2025: RCB’s Yash Dayal gets into an ugly spat with CSK fans over MS Dhoni
NZ vs ENG Match Preview- 2nd Test, England tour of New Zealand 2024
NZ vs ENG 2nd Test Date and Venue
The 2nd NZ vs ENG test will be held on Friday (December 06) at the Basin Reserve, Wellington. The Game will start at 03:30 AM IST and 11:00 AM local time.
Squads:
New Zealand
Tom Latham will be leading the New Zealand team in the 2nd NZ vs ENG Test.
New Zealand Squad: Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Tim Southee, Williamson, Will Young.
England
Ben Stokes will be leading England in the 2nd NZ vs ENG game.
England Squad: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox (WK), Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes
NZ vs ENG Key Battles
Harry Brook vs Tim Southee
Harry Brook who has been in the form of his life will look to continue his dominant display after 171 runs at Hagley Oval. His battle with Tim Southee can be the one that shapes up the match. Southee, with 387 Test wickets, thrives on exploiting even minor errors.
On the other hand, Brook’s ability to counterattack with fearless stroke play and at the same time soak up the pressure will make this battle intriguing.
Joe Root vs Matt Henry
Joe Root’s consistency will be tested by Matt Henry’s ability to generate swing and seam. Root marked his 150th Test in the last test.
Henry who has 110 wickets in 28 Tests, dismantled England’s openers early in Christchurch and thrives on exploiting conditions with unerring accuracy. Root’s challenge will be to anchor the innings while countering Henry’s probing lengths.
Kane Williamson vs Brydon Carse
Kane Williamson, New Zealand’s batting mainstay, will have to negate the fiery Brydon Carse, who took a ten-wicket haul in the first Test.
Williamson, with more than 9,000 Test runs and a penchant for stabilizing innings, will look to lead his team against England’s revitalized pace attack.
Carse’s raw pace and ability to extract bounce make him a potent weapon. This battle between Williamson’s composed technique and Carse’s relentless aggression may determine New Zealand’s batting stability.
NZ vs ENG Key Players
NZ: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Matt Henry, and Tim Southee will be key players for New Zealand.
ENG: Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Chris Woakes, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Brydon Carse, and Ben Stokes are key players for England.
NZ vs ENG Weather And Pitch Report
The second Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington is played from December 6-10 under mixed weather conditions.
Sunny skies will be shining down on the opening day of the second Test. Day 2 may see increased wind speeds, reaching 23 km/h on that day, and overcast conditions.
Clouds will likely roll in during Days 3 and 4, accompanied by gusty winds. There’s a small possibility that rain might disrupt play on the last day of the Test match.
The Basin Reserve pitch is generally supportive of seamers, which provides bounce and movement early as the ground is green. As the game goes on, it tends to flatten out in favor of the batsmen. Unless cracks develop late, spinners might hardly feature. Bowlers would dictate the game early on.
Leave feedback about this