India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test at Kolkata: Likely XI for the visitors

The New Zealand side may have lost the Kanpur Test, but they were not at all bad in the match. They dominated the proceedings for the initial two days, as four out of first five sessions belonged to them.

The first of the 13 home Tests for India this season is over with an emphatic win for them. The Kanpur Test, which was India’s 500th Test, ended in a win for Team India. However, the win did not quite come that easily to the Indians as many would have thought. The New Zealand side may have lost the Test, but they were not at all bad in the match by any stretch of imagination. They dominated the proceedings for the initial two days, as four out of first five sessions belonged to them. The fact that match entered the fifth day, something not many had predicted, tells a lot about the effort New Zealand put in. PREVIEW: India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test at Kolkata.

Loss notwithstanding, it is the same confidence they will hope to carry forward to Kolkata, the venue for the second Test. Interestingly, after playing their 500th Test overall, India will now play their 250th Test at home in Kolkata. A new Test presents new opportunity to the visitors. The conditions at Eden Gardens will be different from that of Kanpur. Spin may come into the picture at a later stage, but shall still be a vital component. There may be some forced changes too. Let’s have a look at their possible playing XI for the Kolkata Test:

Top-order: Martin Guptill shall once again be in the spotlight. There were speculations that he might not make it to the squad for India tour, but he did. He failed in the warm-up game against Mumbai, scoring 15 and 0. In the Kanpur Test too the belligerent opener did not find form in whites, as he could manage just 21 and 0. With the heat building up on him, Guptill will be under tremendous pressure to score. That is, however, if he gets a chance to play.

New Zealand team management have already stated that Luke Ronchi shall be the back-up opener on the tour. He has the ability to handle spin well, which is evident from his past performances in India. Even on this tour, in the three innings that he has played, including the warm-up game, Ronchi has notched scores of 107, 38 and 80. He has adapted well to Indian conditions and has displayed terrific sense of controlled aggression, playing spin in an unflustered manner. It is likely that he may move up the order to open at Kolkata and Guptill may miss the bus. ALSO READ: India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

The second openers’ slot will be taken by Tom Latham, who has started this tough tour on a positive note. Latham hit a fluent fifty in the warm-up game and was unconquered in both the innings. In Kanpur, he was again amongst the runs in the first innings when he scored a fifty and added crucial runs with skipper Kane Williamson, who will take the all-important No. 3 slot. Williamson is by far the best Kiwi batsman on this tour and he showed that in the first game. He shall once again be an important cog in his side’s engine room.

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Middle-order: Former captain Ross Taylor, who is also his team’s most experienced batsman, had a torrid time in the first Test, where he could score only 0 and 17. However, with enormous experience of playing in these conditions behind him, Taylor will have an important role to play. He will have to step up and take more responsibility in the middle if his team has to have any chance of scripting a comeback in the series.

Ronchi’s promotion to the opening slot will leave the No. 5 position vacant, which in all likelihood will be taken by taken by left-handed batsman Henry Nicholls. A relatively newcomer to the side and on his first trip to India, Nicholls has proved with his performances why he can be the one for future. He did well in South Africa and now will have a big test in front of him when he faces Indian spinners. He is likely to be followed by BJ Watling in the batting order. The South-African-born Kiwi stumper has been exceptional over the last couple of years. And though he is yet to come to party in this series, he, once amongst the runs, will be a dangerous customer to deal with for India.

Lower-order and bowling line-up: Jimmy Neesham, who was ruled out from the first Test after a rib injury, has been ruled out of Kolkata Test as well. This means once again exciting all-rounder Mitchell Santner will be the only available option with all-round abilities in the playing XI. Santner won many a heart in the first Test with his invaluable contribution with the ball and dogged approach to batting. 5 wickets in the match and scores of 32 and 71 quickly led to his comparison with former skipper and an all-time great Daniel Vettori. Those are indeed big shoes to fill, but Santner has shown enough promise of being a worthy contender for Vettori’s legacy. He will once again be crucial to his team’s spin plans in Kolkata.

Coming to the specialist bowlers, in all likelihood, New Zealand will once again go with three spinners for the second Test, subject to the availability of seasoned campaigner Jeetan Patel, who is coming in as replacement for Mark Craig. The latter, who played the first Test, was ruled out of the series after a side strain and Patel was brought in as his cover. But a cancelled flight from London has ensured that Patel will arrive in India only in the early hours of Thursday morning, just a little more than 24 hours before the start of Kolkata Test. If he plays, he will lead the Kiwi spin trio, with Ish Sodhi being the third spinner.

On the pace bowling front, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner will form the pace attack. Both of them did well in Kanpur and are expected to do better in Kolkata, where conditions might just assist them a bit more.

Here’s the likely New Zealand XI for the Kanpur Test:

New Zealand’s likely XI for the 1st Test: Luke Ronchi, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling (wk), Mitchell Santner, Jeetan Patel, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner.

(A self-confessed cricket freak, Chinmay Jawalekar is a senior writer with CricketCountry. When not writing or following cricket, he loves to read, eat and sleep. He can be followed here @CricfreakTweets)

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