IND vs NZ 2024: 2nd Test match preview

India look to restore parity in the three-match series against New Zealand after suffering an eight-wicket defeat in the first Test in Bengaluru last week. The two cricketing powerhouses cross swords in the second Test at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, beginning on Thursday, October 24.

Rohit Sharma admitted his mistake of opting to bat first after winning the toss in the opening Test in Bengaluru as the New Zealand seamers used the overcast conditions and damp pitch to their advantage and bowled out the hosts for a paltry 46. This turned out to be the lowest team total in Test matches in Asia. Matt Henry and William O'Rourke bagged five and four wickets, respectively.

As the conditions eased out, New Zealand batters made the Indian bowlers toil hard as Devon Conway and Tim Southee scored aggressive half-centuries. However, the star of the show for the Kiwis was Rachin Ravindra, who smashed an exhilarating 134 off 157 balls. He showed his class by tackling the pacers as well as spinners with consummate ease. New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 402 after taking a gigantic lead of 356 runs.

Also Read: ‘Social media doesn't decide playing XI’ - Gautam Gambhir reflects on KL Rahul’s recent criticism

India put on a spirited show in the second innings and Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli hit fluent half-centuries. However, Sarfaraz Khan's 150 and Rishabh Pant's 99 caught the attention of the cricket fraternity as they showed that the future of Indian cricket looks very bright. India were bowled out for 462 in their second essay. However, the huge lead in the first innings meant that New Zealand only had a 107-run target to hunt down.

Jasprit Bumrah bowled a fantastic spell with the new ball and took the wickets of openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway. However, Will Young and Rachin took their team home with eight wickets to spare.

Indian spinners didn't make much of an impact as the troika of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav took one, three, and three wickets, respectively. However, they were quite expensive, which is a rare sight, especially in India. They are expected to get more help from the surface in Pune and if this happens, the challenge for the New Zealand batters will be much bigger.

Meanwhile, Kohli will have fond memories of playing in Pune as he registered his highest Test score of 254* at this venue in the last Test hosted here in 2019 against South Africa. After going through a lean patch in the longest format of the game, Kohli looked in good touch in the second innings in Bengaluru and would want to go from strength to strength in Pune.

Meanwhile, captain Latham led his team well but failed to show his class with the bat in both innings, registering scores of 15 and 0. He has a lot of experience of playing in Indian conditions and is also a fine player of spin bowling. The New Zealand camp will want their captain to lead from the front in Pune. Meanwhile, the spotlight will be on Rachin and Sarfaraz after the youngsters fared remarkably in Bengaluru.

Also Read: If you enjoyed Kanpur, have to accept 46-all out in Bengaluru: Gautam Gambhir

Match Details