India vs New Zealand, IND vs NZ, Today Match Prediction

ind vs nz Match Prediction & Analysis

India’s unbeaten record in T20I series is under threat after New Zealand pulled the finals straw in the 1st T20I at Rancho to hand over a 21-run defeat. The second and now the deciding T20I will be played at Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on 29th January from 7:00 pm onwards. India have a 100% win record at Ekana Stadium.

India opted to bowl after skipper Handya won the toss at Ranchi. New Zealand openers Finn Allen (35) and Devon Conway put up an opening partnership of 43 runs in the first four overs. Conway then went ahead to score his 9th half-century. All-rounder Daryl Mitchell played a fiery inning of 59 off 30 deliveries to register 178 runs on the board. Mitchell hit 27 runs in the final over of Arshdeep Singh, including 3 sixes and a four.

The chase turned out to be difficult for India with the turn it offered in the second innings. After losing the first three wickets for 15 runs, Suryakumar Yadav (47)  and Washington Sundar (50 off 28) kept India’s chances alive. But wickets kept falling from the other end. Mitchell Santner’s 2 for 11 runs in 4 overs restricted India to 155 for losing 9 wickets. With the win, New Zealand took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

This was New Zealand’s first T20I win in the last 5 matches in India. Not only they mastered the turn offered by the stadium, but they also came over the dew factor. They now have a better chance to win their first T20I series in India since 2012. But better doesn’t mean easy. Don’t forget that India hasn’t lost a T20I series at home since they suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Australia in 2018.

TEAMS PREVIEW

India Preview

Resting Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul isn’t going great for India. But they will likely go with Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, and Rahul Tripathi. Kishan, the most experienced among the three, has yet to play a match-winning knock in his last 9 games. In the last 9 games, he has scored just 112 runs and hasn’t gone past the single-digit score in the last three games. Shubman Gill scored a double century and a century against New Zealand in the ODI series, but the T20 format also seems like a tough task. With Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out of the series, Tripathi can prove his selection. India can think of adding Prithvi Shaw in place of Tripathi. But India’s top-order is still vulnerable.

Suryakumar Yadav has been India’s most valuable player for over a year now. The world's number one T20I player has 1625 runs at a strike rate of 178.76. In the last 6 games, he has scored two centuries and a half-century. In the first T20I, he showed his caliber by scoring 47 runs in 34 deliveries. He is our choice for the top batter. Hardik Pandya and now Washington Sundar are India’s top choices for the all-rounder spot. Sundar scored a half-century in the first game and took a breathtaking catch on his own bowling to put New Zealand under pressure. Deepak Hooda might face some heat for his inconsistency. His 92 runs in the last 9 games can open Jitesh Sharma’s door into the squad.

Hardik Pandya is finding it difficult to make perfect use of his bowlers. Arshdeep Singh is very expensive. So is Umran Malik. And Shivam Mavi is yet to find the rhythm. Kuldeep Yadav is our choice for the top bowler from the Indian side. In his last three games, Yadav has kept an economy of 4.5 taking 4 wickets. India can think of giving Mukesh Kumar his debut by resting Arshdeep Singh, who has had nightmares since his return.

Key Players: Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav.

India Predicted Playing XI:

Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh

India Actual Playing XI:

YS Chahal, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Mavi, Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar

New Zealand Preview

Finn Allen and Devon Conway will open the innings for New Zealand. Allen put aside the successive ducks in the ODI series to score 35 in the first game. His strike rate is 162.70 in 26 T20Is, making him a treat for India in the second T20I. Devon Conway now has 2 centuries and a half centuries on this tour. Undoubtedly, he is our choice for the top batter. Conway has 1222 runs in 33 innings at an average of 48.88. He has also scored back-to-back half-centuries against India.

Two-time centurion Glenn Phillips and all-rounders Daryl Mitchell & Bracewell make New Zealand’s middle-order stronger than any bowling attack. Phillips has scored a century and 3 half-centuries in his last 10 T20Is with a strike rate close to 175. Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 59 off 30 took the first game away from India. Bracewell scored a century in the ODI series and has the best strike rate amongst the New Zealand Batters. 178.43. Let's say India might need to get ready to brace for the impact.

Skipper Santner will lead the bowling attack with Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, and Jacob Duffy. Santner gave just 11 runs while claiming 2 wickets. He became the first bowler to bowl a maiden over to Suryakumar Yadav. New Zealand effectively used the spinners at Ranchi. With Tim Southee not available, New Zealand will play an unchanged side.

Key Players: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips.

New Zealand Predicted Playing XI:

Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner

New Zealand Actual Playing XI:

Mitchell Santner, Devon Conway, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Jacob Duffy, Michael Bracewell, Lockie Ferguson, Finn Allen, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Daryl Mitchell

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The weather will be cooler as compared to Ranchi. Lucknow will expect showers on the day before the match. It might make the outfield damp. The temperature will range between 11 and 22°C. The wind will be flowing from the west at 5-7 kmh. The pitch favors batters. A high-scoring game is expected. The last time this venue hosted a T20I was around 11 months ago in a contest where India smashed 199/2.

Venue Details

The 2nd T20I will be played at Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow, on 29th January from 7:00 pm onwards. The venue holds a capacity of 50000 spectators and has hosted 1 Tests, 9 ODIs & 8 T20Is so far. India has scored 190+ runs in both games they played at this venue.

Toss: To Bat

In all 5 Men’s T20Is, the team batting first has won the game. The average first innings score is 157 - 28 more than the second innings. The team winning the toss should bat first.