New Delhi: The second Test between India and New Zealand is all set to get underway from Thursday at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. The city will see some cricketing action after a long time and what better than to host a red-ball game which gets even better with respect to Team India. Currently, with a series deficit of 0-1, the India team is looking for a desperate bounce back, having wrongly judged the conditions during the opener in Bengaluru.
Rohit Sharma and co. are known for making comebacks from such scenarios and something similar will be the plan while taking on the Kiwis in the second Test. The three-match series, if India win, will be levelled at 1-1 and things will be taken to the decider final Test. But the Kiwis surely won’t be too complacent to leak the lead and will look to replicate what they did in the Bengaluru Test.
Although it has already been out that Pune is set to roll out a rank turner which makes it evident that the spinners are going to have a much bigger say. The pitch has been curated keeping in mind India’s comeback, for which, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin will be taking centerstage. The Kiwi batters will have to be extra wary of the spin duo who are known for wreaking havoc once they get their hands on the favourable conditions.
Nonetheless, the series opener was expected to be a slow turner as well but the “overcast” conditions in Bengaluru turned things around for the game and definitely the pitch as well. The track turned pacer friendly which plotted India’s misery. Similar is the condition in Pune but will bad weather impact the already developed wicket and will there even be poor weather?
Pune weather report for IND vs NZ Day 1
According to Accuweather, the weather in Pune will be too good for a Test game to happen. It’s going to be “less humid with a blend of sun and clouds” at the MCA Stadium. The cloud cover will be decent but no rain is on the cards with zero chances of any thunderstorms. The weather remains clear not just for the opening, but for the entire five-day affair. The temperature would vary between 16 to 32 degrees celsius.
Bring on the Test action!
