PUNE, India (AP) — New Zealand won the toss Thursday and decided to bat in the second cricket test against India, hoping to clinch the three-test series with a win in the western Maharashtra state city of Pune.
India trails the three-match series 1-0 after New Zealand beat the home side by eight wickets in the first test. It was New Zealand’s first test win in India since 1988.
New Zealand captain Tom Latham said the pitch should provide some spin, but he’s confident his side will adapt. India captain Rohit Sharma said he also would have batted if he won the toss.
India made three changes — Lokesh Rahul has been left out, while fit-again Shubman Gill returns to the playing side. In-form Sarfaraz Khan, who scored 150 runs in the second innings at Bengaluru in the first test, keeps his spot.
Rahul makes way for Gill who slots in batting at No. 3, while bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar comes in for left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav. Pacer Mohammed Siraj is out, as Akash Deep takes his spot.
India’s keeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who was hit on the knee during the first test, is fit again and will take the gloves for the second test.
For New Zealand, Kane Williamson continues to miss action as he has not recovered from a groin injury sustained in Sri Lanka. The visitors have made one change from the first test — pacer Matt Henry misses out due to an injury, with left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner coming into the playing XI.
The pitch at the MCA Stadium is a black soil wicket, much like Bengaluru. But it is drier in comparison and expected to favor spinners throughout the game, even early, thus playing to India’s strengths as it looks to bounce back in the series.
India has been down 1-0 down in a home test series several times — against Australia in 2017 and against England in 2021 and 2024. All three times, they came back to win the series, but those involved four-test series, not three.
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Lineups:
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah
New Zealand: Tom Latham (captain), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips, Tim Southee, Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, William O’Rourke
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AP cricket:
