Sodhi comes under the spotlight
Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi could find his berth in the Black Caps come under pressure as the visitors look to fight their way back into the series in the second test in India.
New Zealand will make at least one change for the match starting at the famous Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday after off-spinner Mark Craig suffered a side-strain in the second innings of the 197-run defeat in Kanpur.
His replacement in the 11 is expected to be 36-year-old Wellingtonian and English county cricket standout Jeetan Patel, who was handed a shock callup to the team after last playing for his country in 2013.
Patel appears highly likely to play after coach Mike Hesson said he fitted the bill perfectly in terms of the need for a genuine offspinner in India, not to mention the Black Caps going to the trouble of flying him out from England in the first place.
Sodhi’s spot in the side does not look as secure. The Indian-born spinner’s mixed performance in the first test, a Kolkata pitch expected to take less turn and a potential need to bolster a fragile Black Caps’ batting lineup could see him miss out.
New Zealand played three specialist tweakers in Kanpur but that may drop to two (Patel and Mitchell Santner) with captain Kane Williamson able to offer relief for the frontline options on Eden Gardens wicket that should offer less spice for the spinners.
Although he took three-toporder wickets, Sodhi finished third of the Kiwi trio in Kanpur after conceding 149 runs from 35 overs at a little more than four an over.
All-rounder Jimmy Neesham and seamer Doug Bracewell are the frontrunners to step in and replace Sodhi.
Bracewell moved into the box seat in that race after Hesson indicated Neesham, who was hit in the ribs during a net session and was not considered for the first test, was still struggling.
The introduction of Bracewell would probably see the Black Caps’ top seven unchanged, the Central Districts man taking Craig’s spot at eight, with Neil Wagner, Trent Boult and Patel making up the tail.
Despite making 22 and a duck first-up, opener Martin Guptill is expected to be given at least one more chance to prove his worth in tests, resisting a temptation to move first match batting standout Luke Ronchi up the order.
Following the defeat in Kanpur, Williamson said Guptill ‘‘has certainly shown his class in the white ball format’’ and added they were ‘‘backing him to show that in the red ball’’.
Whatever lineup New Zealand go with, the recipe from an improved showing in Kolkata appears simple, if not so straightforward to implement against an Indian outfit riding a wave of wins.
Williamson summed it up best, reflecting on a first test effort where they were competitive for periods with both bat and ball before ultimately being outplayed.
Two crucial sessions on day three, where they lost 5-7 to concede a crucial 56-run first innings deficit before a poor afternoon bowling display saw India bolt away, proved costly to their chances of winning, or even drawing the match.
‘‘There were a lot of good things to come out of this game and for a number of players it is there first time batting in these sort of conditions,’’ Williamson said.