NZL vs IND 2nd Test Day 1 match prediction 29 Feb 2020

New Zealand will host India for one last time in this tour in the second Test match at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch from February 29.

India were handed a crushing 10-wicket defeat in the first Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. Virat Kohli and co. failed to capitalize in almost all of the sessions throughout the Test match and the Black Caps, quite obviously, exploited their home conditions and got the desired result at the end of the game. It will be interesting to see Kohli’s strategic approach in the second Test match towards the hosts, who were extremely clear about their plans in the first game and executed them to perfection. Now that India are 1-0 down in the series, Kohli will want his side to come out all guns blazing in the final game of the tour and end it on a high. While we will watch the Kiwis and India battle it out in the second Test match in Christchurch, I have found three ways to make money. In case you are interested, take a close look at my suggestions and the cash will flow right back into your account. So let’s get started:

Ishant Sharma to be on top of his game with the ball

A man who has the experience of 97 Test matches under his belt is bound to make an impact with the red ball; what else do you expect from Ishant Sharma! How many of you remember his spell of sublime textbook fast bowling against Ricky Ponting several years ago on Australian soil? If you remember that spell, you will realize why I have opted for Sharma to be the top team bowler for India in the second Test match at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. Sharma has 297 scalps to his name at an average of 32.39 including 11 five-wicket and one 10-wicket haul. Against New Zealand, Sharma has 35 wickets in seven matches at a sound average of 24.14 including three five-wicket hauls, one of which came during the first Test match. When he is playing against the Black Caps on the New Zealand soil, he has 28 wickets in six games at an average of 28.10 including three five-wicket hauls. Under the able leadership of Kohli, the lanky pacer has been extremely efficient with the red ball as he has notched up 107 wickets in just 36 Test matches at an average 25.46. He has been in red-hot form with the ball in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship as he has 30 wickets to his name at an jaw-dropping average of 15.50 and has three five-wicket hauls. Royal Panda is offering odds of 3.75 for Sharma to be the top team bowler and I don’t see any other alternative.

The return of Neil Wagner and his form with the ball

Neil Wagner has been of great service to New Zealand Cricket over the years in the longest format of the fame. He was out with an injury for a while and now he is up for selection in the upcoming Test match. Kane Williamson will have to make a difficult choice to make ahead of the forthcoming Test because he knows the value of Wagner with the red ball. The left-arm seamer has 204 wickets in just 47 Test matches at a sound average of 26.63 and he has nine five-wicket hauls to add to the tally. He has played only four Test matches against India and has picked up 16 scalps to his name at an average of 29.12. When he has the luxury of playing on New Zealand wickets, Wagner has added 135 scalps to his name in 29 Test matches at an average of 26.40. In 2019, he picked up 43 wickets in just six matches averaging only 17.81, including four five-wicket hauls. Under the captaincy of Williamson, he has been even better as he has picked up 124 wickets in 26 Tests at an incredible average of 22.80 including seven five-wicket hauls. In the ICC Test Championship, Wagner has 17 wickets in three matches at an average of 22.76. Did you spot one average that is above 30.00? No, right? Then what are you waiting for? Go bet on Royal Panda who are offering odds of 4.00 for Wagner to be the top team bowler for the Kiwis!

Kane to prevail with the bat in the battle of ice and fire

In the first Test match we saw how Kane Williamson bossed the conditions and was on top of his game with the bat. He scored 89 runs and he did not even bat in the second innings of the game as New Zealand openers did the job for them. Virat Kohli, on the other hand, could only crawl to 21 runs in two innings (2 and 19) of the first Test at Basin Reserve. The fact that Williamson averages 60.40 and has 3141 runs while playing at home adds to the advantage of the Black Caps skipper. While Kohli has played three Test matches on the New Zealand soil and he has one hundred and a solitary fifty in six innings that he has played averaging only 47.00. When Kohli started off with this Test series, he was averaging just a little over 66.00 against New Zealand. And now, after the debacle in the first Test, his average has dropped to 58.15. It is understandable that Williamson will fancy his chances of exploiting the home conditions yet again in the second Test match and he is likely to score more runs than the Indian counterpart. Royal Panda is offering odds of 1.90 for Williamson to score more runs than Kohli and that is the likely outcome.

NZL to score more than India in the first innings

India have built a reputation for themselves as one of the best ever Test teams when they play at home. However, New Zealand are not that bad either. Since the start of 2019, in the four Tests that New Zealand have played, they have outscored their opponents thrice in the first innings. Not just outscore them but they have not had to bat again in those matches. Even in the first match of the series, the fabled Indian batting lineup could only manage eight more runs in two innings that the Kiwis did in their first.
The last time that India travelled to New Zealand, back in 2014, they did manage to outscore their opponents in the first innings once, but New Zealand have a much stronger bowling attack this time, which adding the inexperienced Indian opening partnership, makes it an easy pick. If you need another reason, I have that as well. In six Test matches played at the venue, New Zealand have conceded the first innings lead only twice. One of those was the same one mentioned above. They are an absolute force in Christchurch and the odds of 1.85 for the hosts to take the lead after both teams have batted, it’s a no brainer as far as I am concerned.

A Kiwi to score a hundred in the first innings

Despite the lack of quality batting, apart from Kane Williamson, in the first match at Wellington, the bookmakers are showing faith in the willow wielders for the second Test of the series. And they might have a reason for that as well. Three centuries have been scored in the first innings of the game in the six matches at the venue, two of which came from the bat of a certain Brendon McCullum. In the last four contests, only one century has been scored at the venue. Then why would I recommend you bet for a batsman to score a 100?
Well, the last four teams that played at the venue, apart from England, were bowling teams - Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. India possess one of the best batting lineups in the world and New Zealand possess quality batsmen right till BJ Watling. Since the start of 2019, New Zealand have played four Tests, excluding the game against India, at home and they have been able to score eight centuries in those games. ONLY IN THE FIRST INNINGS OF THOSE MATCHES. That stat alone should be enough for you to book this bet at 1.80

Not expecting more than 29 runs before the fall of the first wicket

This is a fairly straightforward one. And to be completely honest with you, I am surprised the number is this high. The last series that India played in New Zealand, in 2014, the hosts batted first on both occasions. The result was scores of 19 and 23 for the opening partnership. In the first match of the ongoing series, the numbers don’t look too good for the batsmen either. The inexperienced Indian batting pair of Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal could only manage a grand total of 16 runs in the first innings. The hosts did not fare much better either, scoring just ten more runs than their Indian counterparts.
But what about the venue? Well, those numbers aren’t that supportive either. In the six Tests that have been played in Christchurch, the most number of runs that have been scored by the opening pair has been 37. But that was the case in the very first match ever played at the venue. Over the last four innings, the opening partnership numbers read 21,6, 6, 16. This is not a place where openers have had too much success and it is unlikely that either team will have a lot of success. So go ahead and have a pop at this one. It is unlikely that we can get any odds (1.8) better than this for this particular market.