New Zealand and Pakistan get their Test series underway on Wednesday evening UK time with the match crowning the start of the home international summer and acting as the starter for the tourists ahead of their series in Australia to come.
With this being such a short series getting off to a quick start is essential and the winners here will know they have a share of the series at the very least so that should make for a keenly fought encounter.
New Zealand
Kane Williamson’s men will be looking to restore a bit of morale and confidence in this mini-series after being emphatically beaten in South Africa and India in recent times. An excuse can be made for them in India but the large nature of their defeat in South Africa exposed a few weaknesses in the team.
The one thing we know about New Zealand is that they have a good bowling attack no matter which combination they pick but it is the batsmen that have to stand up and deliver and their skipper has called for an aggressive intent going into the series. It will be interesting to see if they can deliver that against a gun bowling attack.
Pakistan
This will be Pakistan’s first away Test since their emphatic win at The Oval in the English summer. They looked a really good side in that series and have built on that since by dominating the West Indies out in the UAE. The face a big winter but you get the feeling it is a winter they are up for and relishing.
If there is a concern for Pakistan going into the match it would be that the warm up match they had planned was cancelled so this will be the first hit out for their batsmen although most of them have toured here before and will know what to expect.
Team News
Kane Williamson has confirmed that Jeet Raval will make his debut as an opener in place of Martin Guptill. Todd Astle has secured the spinner spot with the only other decision being whether to play Matt Henry or not.
Pakistan will stick with the same top five that walloped the West Indies recently but whether they play Babar Azam or Mohammad Rizwan at six hasn’t been declared. It would be a surprise if Azam doesn’t play though. Sohail Khan looks to have the third seamer spot.
Hagley Oval
There have been two previous matches on this ground over the longer format. New Zealand dominated the first one against Sri Lanka and were then soundly beaten by Australia earlier in the year.
Generally the wicket here looks very green but it doesn’t play anywhere near as bad as it looks. Seamers hold sway over the spinners with very few wickets falling to spin so it will be interesting to see if the two leg spinners can fare any better.
Betting
With a little bit of rain expected to be around early on in the match I’m keeping bets to a minimum for this one but I will go with a couple which look overpriced and have every chance of delivering.
Pakistan have a very solid batting line up for all conditions with the days where they fall in a heap seemingly behind them and they look overpriced to lead at the end of the first innings. New Zealand have an opener on debut against a top quality bowling attack and if Williamson or Taylor don’t score big you sense the Kiwis might not. Pakistan’s batsmen arrive here in decent form and can secure a first innings lead.
Very few of this Kiwi batting line up are in fantastic form but one man who has gone as well as anyone recently is BJ Watling and he’s good value to top score for New Zealand in the first innings. If the Pakistan seamers get the ball to jag about then Watling might not be chasing too much and after a couple of solid knocks against Australia here earlier in the year we know he can deliver on this wicket. At 12/1 he looks a decent price to snatch the top score.
Tips
Back Pakistan 1st Inns Lead for a 4/10 stake at 2.38 with Boylesports
Back it here:
Back BJ.Watling Top New Zealand 1st Inns Batsman for a 1/10 stake at 13.00 with Paddy Power
Back him here:
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