India look to undo New Zealand's efforts in the Pune series decider - India vs New Zealand, 2nd Test Match Preview, Prediction and Live Streaming

New Zealand caught India off guard in Bengaluru. To be precise and fair, the Indian team let down their guard only for a few fleeting moments during the toss, and thats when the visitors decided to attack and attack most viciously. Rohit Sharma decided to bat first on a pitch that, in all fairness, was quite secretive about what it holds. The weather had bestowed it with moisture, but the surface, which was under covers for three days straight at that point, had nothing green on it. It was a bad toss to win for Rohit and the next few days made sure he did not forget that.

But Pune will be different. There is no rain this time around. The surface is expected to truly be a rank-turner. Most importantly, India are awake now. All three of these situations spell damnation for the Kiwis. But at the same time, for the visitors, all of the above-stated predicaments do not seem as lethal now that they come off a well-earned victory. Again, morale and mentality do not solely win you games. At some point, they will (or already have) realize that they lack the quality in the skill that is needed to navigate square-turners.

Team Overview:

Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are both fit to feature in the team again. This means either KL Rahul or Sarfaraz Khan will have to sit out. After Sarfaraz’s 150-run knock full of magnificence in the third inning and Rahul’s dwindling batting average, it’s not difficult to see the former get the go-ahead. Another question that would need a solution before the game is what bowling combination do India opt for. There is some murmur about a four-headed spin attack along with Jasprit Bumrah as the only pacer. India have also included Washington Sundar in the squad. However, India have never fancied going with a sole pacer, no matter how many miles the ball turns or how bad the second pacer is averaging with the ball.

New Zealand’s captain, Tom Latham, believes that if the surface starts turning the ball from the start, this might favor his spinners more.

“If it’s going to be a wicket that turns a little bit more, then we’ve obviously got four spinners in our line-up, so fingers crossed that will play into their hands,” Latham said.

They might also get another spinner on board, replacing one of the quicks. With at least four spinners in the lineup, even a little help from the batters and the deck will be enough to gain control of the game. However, the batting lineup will need to do this humungous task without Kane Williamson once again, as his struggles with the injury have refused to subside.

Head-to-Head Matches:

India have played 63 matches against New Zealand. With 22 wins, India dominate the match-up. Barring 27 games that ended in stalemate, the rest of the 14 matches were won by the Kiwis. Interestingly, New Zealand have never won a series in India.

Weather and Pitch Report:

It’s a black-soil pitch that looks dry and rough. The assistance to the spinners will increasingly get more as the game progresses. However, the real trouble will make an entry by the third day, before that batters and pacers would get to make as much merry as they can.