The wounds of the World Test Championship final are yet to heal as India look to extract revenge on New Zealand. After a nail-biting draw in Kanpur, India and New Zealand will once again lock horns at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium for the second and final Test match of the series. A ground that has traditionally been good for the hosts may well dish out a pitch to India's liking once again. The Kiwis too will be eyeing history in a bid to win their first Test series on Indian soil as Test cricket returns to Mumbai after a gap of 5 years.
With Mumbai witnessing unseasonal rains for a few days now, the downpours could well affect the outcome of the match. In 25 Test matches at the venue, India have won 11 while they have tasted defeat in seven encounters. In terms of head-to-head record at the venue, both teams have shared the spoils with one win each.
History at Wankhede
The second Test will only be the third time these two nations battle it out at the iconic venue. India’s 162-run win in 1976 thanks to Sunil Gavaskar’s first innings hundred was enough to overcome a New Zealand team consisting of Richard Hadlee. 12 years later, the Kiwis had their revenge as Dilip Vengsarkar’s side was dismantled by the lethal bowling attack of Hadlee and John Bracewell.
Team News
Virat Kohli will grab all the headlines as India's Test & ODI captain returns to the national team after a disappointing T20 World Cup campaign. Wankhede though has been a happy hunting ground for the Indian skipper as the last time he was here, he smashed a double ton against England in December 2016.
The ‘Player of the Match’ from the last game, Shreyas Iyer, is expected to keep his place in the playing XI after becoming the first Indian ever to record a hundred and a fifty on Test debut. It remains to be seen if one of Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara or even vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane will make way to accommodate both Kohli and Iyer in the lineup.
Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha has overcome a stiff neck and is available for the clash. KS Bharat, who did most of the work behind the stumps due to Saha's injury woes, in all likelihood will sit out.
Having picked up 17 out of the 19 wickets to fall, the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel should have been a certainty for this Test. However, Captain Kohli has already hinted that Mumbai weather might end up dictating India's team selection. If India decide to play the extra seamer in the form of Mohammad Siraj, Axar, who picked up a 5-wicket haul in the first innings at Kanpur might have to make way.
Not too many changes are expected from the visitors. Off-spinner William Somerville could miss out if the team management decides to go in with three seamers. Left-arm pacer Neil Wagner could get the nod as both Kiwi pacers Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson managed 14 wickets together and trouble the Indian batters. In fact, at one stage in the second innings, they had India reeling at 51/5 before the lower-middle order bailed the hosts out.
Although there's not much that separates the two sides, India once again start as favourites. While New Zealand managed to scrape through to a draw in Kanpur, they'd know keeping Virat Kohli's men at bay won't be easy the second time around. Kane Williamson's side though would know that with series still at 0-0, Wankhede presents them with a glorious chance to register their first-ever Test series triumph on Indian soil.
Coincidentally, the last time the BlackCaps won a Test in India was at this very venue back in 1988. India though have not lost a Test at Wankhede since England got the better of them in November 2012.
A cracking battle awaits us all!
Squads
India: Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Suryakumar Yadav, Srikar Bharat, Jayant Yadav.
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Will Young, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (w), Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William Somerville, Neil Wagner, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra.