No.1 Test rankings spot beckons New Zealand

NZ v PAK, 2nd Test, preview

New Zealand have a chance of claiming the No.1 spot for the first time in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Team Rankings if they beat Pakistan in the second Test at the Hagley Oval.

Overview

New Zealand v Pakistan, 2nd Test
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
Sunday, 3 January – Thursday, 7 January, 11.00am local time, 10:00pm GMT

A lot has gone right for New Zealand in the last few days. They beat Pakistan in the first Test of the series at the Bay Oval, a close hard-fought finish that has brought them inches away from the top spot in the Test rankings. Their captain, Kane Williamson, is the new No.1 Test batsman and they have a good chance of improving their position in the ICC World Test Championship standings and booking their place in the final.

They will go into the second Test with that confidence and riding on the form of their top players. They have a solid batting line-up, capable of churning out big scores. Their bowling attack is equally good with plenty of options. Their fast bowlers, especially, have been terrific of late. While they will miss Neil Wagner, who fractured his toes in the first match, they will be boosted by the presence of Matt Henry, who has done well recently for the New Zealand A side.

"Matt has been in good form with the ball having recently taken 6/53 for New Zealand A against the Pakistan Shaheens in December," New Zealand head coach Gary Stead had said. "We're still a couple of days out from the Test, so need to take a look at the surface while also assessing our options for best-possible team make-up."

Pakistan are a force to be reckoned with even though their lack of consistency might be an issue. Their brave fightback in the first Test fell short but they are capable of beating the best of teams on any given day. They will be yet again be without the services of regular captain Babar Azam, who has returned to training but is still recovering from a thumb fracture. Another worry for them is the form of their openers, Shan Masood and Abid Ali. While Abid has performed decently in his brief Test career, Shan has not even crossed 20 in his last six innings. If they decide to shuffle things up, the visitors might hand a debut to Imran Butt, who has been exceptional in the domestic tournaments over the past year.

Remember the last time:

The Bay Oval Test turned into an exciting spectacle with all three results possible going into the final day. Fawad Alam and Mohammad Rizwan had strengthened Pakistan's position in the first two sessions but their wickets at the beginning of the final session sparked a dramatic turnaround. The Pakistan tail then almost pulled off a draw when the last-wicket pair of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi resisted for 47 balls but the rejuvenated New Zealand bowlers stuck to their plan and picked up the final wicket with less than five overs left in the day, guiding the hosts to a 101-run victory. Their win meant that New Zealand not only went 1-0 up in the two-match series but are also on the cusp of displacing Australia in

Test team rankings.

Kane Williamson (New Zealand captain): "We have had so may close tight finishes against Pakistan. I think the last three have gone to the last 25 minutes of the last day. It was an exciting game [at the Bay Oval] and for us, a huge amount of hard work went into it. It's exciting to get across the line and still be in the hunt for opportunity in the World Test Championship."

What they said:

Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan stand-in captain): "We need a little bit of improvement in our top order and then we can perform well. We have done well in the past and can do it again. Runs are due for a few and they will have to score. They have done it before, and I trust them to do it again. I know conditions are tough, but then all they have to do is see off the new ball, stay in, and make big scores."