India and New Zealand will resume their Test series with the second Test scheduled to start at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Friday.
The hosts go into the second Test as huge favourites after registering a comfortable 197-run victory in the first Test at Kanpur.
With the win in Kanpur, the Indian side have continued their fine form in home conditions. They haven’t lost a single Test at home since December 2012. Since the start of 2013, India have played 11 Tests at home – winning 10 and drawing one (a game in which four days were washed out due to rain).
A win in Kolkata will take India to the number one position on the ICC Test Rankings irrespective of what happens in the third Test in Indore.
DATE, TIME, VENUE INFO
Date: September 30, 2016 – October 4, 2016
Time: 09:30 local time (IST), 08:00 GST, 04:00 GMT,
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
WHERE TO WATCH, LIVE STREAMING INFO
TV: UAE – OSN Sports Cricket HD; India – Star Sports 1, HD 1 (English), Star Sports 3, HD 3 (Hindi); UK – Sky Sports 2/3 HD
Online streaming: starsports.com, Hotstar app (in India only)
LIVE blog: Sport360 blog
TEAM NEWS, SQUAD, PREDICTED XI
INDIA SQUAD: Kohli (c), Rahane, Vijay, Gambhir, Dhawan, Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Saha (wk), Jadeja, Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar, Mishra, Shami, Umesh, Jayant.
India have made a couple of forced changes to the squad that was selected for the Kanpur Test. KL Rahul misses out due to a hamstring injury and Ishant Sharma continues to sit out due to chikungunya.
Rahul and Ishant have been replaced by Gautam Gambhir and Jayant Yadav. Gambhir last played a Test two years ago, while Jayant is yet to make his international debut in any format of the game.
The inclusion of a spinner in Jayant for a fast bowler in Ishant is a good indication that the pitch in Kolkata is likely to favour the slower bowlers yet again. Virat Kohli might be tempted to go in with three spinners, but Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami did provide some crucial breakthroughs in Kanpur.
Gambhir’s return draws up an interesting selection headache at the top of the order. Will the Indian think-tank go for the experienced and in-form Gambhir or will they opt for Shikhar Dhawan – who was in the initial squad – to open the innings alongside Murali Vijay?
PREDICTED INDIA XI: Vijay, Dhawan, Pujara, Kohli (c), Rahane, Rohit, Ashwin, Saha (wk), Jadeja, Shami, Umesh.
NEW ZEALAND SQUAD: Williamson (c), Guptill, Latham, Taylor, Watling (wk), Neesham, Nicholls, Ronchi (wk), Santner, Boult, Bracewell, Sodhi, Wagner, Henry, Patel.
After losing fast bowler Tim Southee before the Test series had even started, New Zealand were dealt with another blow after off-spinner Mark Craig was ruled out of rest of the series due to a side strain suffered in the first Test.
Craig’s replacement Jeetan Patel hasn’t played Test cricket in more than three years, but is in good form currently. In the recently-concluded 2016 County Championship, Patel was the joint-highest wicket-taker with 69 scalps to his name.
Martin Guptill’s horrific run in Test cricket might see him dropped for the Kolkata Test. With no back-up specialist openers in the squad, Luke Ronchi – who did an admirable job with the bat in the first Test – is likely to open with Tom Latham.
PREDICTED NEW ZEALAND XI: Ronchi, Latham, Williamson (c), Taylor, Nicholls, Watling (wk), Santner, Wagner, Sodhi, Boult, Patel.
FORM
(Last five matches – with latest match first)
INDIA: W D W D W
NEW ZEALAND: L L D W W
MATCH PREDICTION
India to win.
