NZ look to strengthen WTC final bid against depleted Pakistan

Saiyan0321 · Dec 27, 2020

NZ look to strengthen WTC final bid against depleted Pakistan

A depleted Pakistan side will be out to challenge New Zealand's bid for a near perfect summer in the first of the three Boxing Day Tests this year, in Mount Maunganui on Saturday (December 26).

Barring the dead rubber third T20I against the same opposition, the hosts haven't dropped any other game since international cricket resumed after the COVID-19 break in New Zealand. In Tests particularly, after their 2-0 sweep over West Indies, a similar result against Pakistan will put Kane Williamson & Co. in the driver's seat for a ticket to the Lord's for the Test Championship finale. And they do start as heavy favourites, having thoroughly challenged Pakistan's thin batting reserves in the preceding T20Is.

The visitors' injury woes started when Babar Azam, due to make his Test captaincy debut in this series, fractured his right thumb a day after Imam-ul-Haq injured his left in training sessions ahead of the T20I leg of the tour. Their troubles were compounded by the end of that series where stand-in skipper Shadab Khan sustained a thigh injury to join the batting duo on the bench for the Test series opener.

The pressure would be on the top-order to survive against New Zealand's unrelenting pace attack, and more so on wicketkeeper-bat Mohammad Rizwan, who will be doubling up as stand-in skipper, to replicate his Man of the Series performance from Pakistan's 1-0 series loss in England earlier this year. Their batting heavily compromised, Pakistan would look to their seamers to do the heavy lifting in conditions that will likely suit their ilk. New Zealand could have their work cut out should the Pakistan bowling unit step up like it did in England to all but draw the Test series had the infamous UK weather not intervened.

Unlike Pakistan, the home side is well rested and has a fully fit squad at their disposal. Though heavy tinkering from their last Test win over West Indies is unlikely, Kane Williamsons's return will force at least one change to their XI. That means an extended run for Ross Taylor, who did not enjoy as much success against the Caribbean side and hence faced the axe for Pakistan T20Is. Opener Tom Blundell, too, didn't cross fifty once in the last Test assignment but will unlikely face the consequences as yet.