Black Caps v India: All you need to know
It’s been six years, almost to the day, since the Black Caps and India last met in a cricket test in New Zealand.
Remember it? We can call it the Brendon McCullum test, after the former skipper’s epic triple century secured a draw and a 1-0 series win for the hosts at the Basin Reserve.
Since then, India have become the world’s top-ranked test side while New Zealand climbed to No 2, before a jolting setback in Australia either side of Christmas.
We explore the main talking points of today’s test.
FORMLINE
India arrive with a swagger after seven straight test wins over West Indies, South Africa and Bangladesh, the smallest victory margin 203 runs and the last four by an innings.
Opener Mayank Agarwal plundered 754 runs at 68.54 in 2019, while Mohammed Shami (33 wickets at
16.66) and
Ishant Sharma
(25 wickets at
15.56) were the main bowling destroyers. Their last loss was in December 2018, a series they won 2-1.
New Zealand’s smallest losing margin in the 3-0 hammering in Australia was 247 runs.
At home, the Black Caps haven’t lost a test since March 2017 against South Africa in Wellington, and have won their last five series in New Zealand.
HISTORY
Since February 1981 when India played in front of the shiny new RA Vance Stand, they’ve won just one of 16 tests in New Zealand, with the hosts winning six.
That sole victory was in Hamilton under MS Dhoni in 2009, a series India won 1-0.
THE BASIN FACTOR
Groundsman Hagen Faith revealed a familiar bright green pitch that screamed out ‘bowl first’ as per usual. It’s a fresh strip but some bare patches down the centre make it look slightly more worn.
Captain Kane Williamson said it was a different hue to what they’re used to, but what that meant he didn’t know. Both skippers will surely want to unleash their pacemen first in anticipation of a runfest on days three and four. India haven’t won a Wellington test in 52 years.
BATTLE OF THE SKIPPERS
Kohli has won 33 of his 53 tests as skipper while averaging 64 with the bat; Williamson has 16 wins from 30 at the helm while averaging 56. Against New Zealand Kohli averages 67; against India Williamson averages 37.
Both are hugely influential and set the tone for their sides, but neither has dominated with the bat in recent times.
In seven white-ball innings on tour Kohli scored 180 runs at 25.71, while Williamson produced a stunning 95 in the Hamilton Twenty20 but has battled niggly injuries and played just four of the eight matches so far.
Williamson scored 57 runs from four innings in Australia but in his last home test knock scored 104 not out against England.
TAYLOR FACTOR
It’s a special occasion: Ross Taylor plays his 100th test and becomes the first cricketer to reach a century in all three international formats. Buoyed by all the support and already owning the New Zealand test runscoring record, a carefree Taylor will be a prized wicket for India and desperate to reward his fans.
It’s his ground, the Basin. Taylor scored 200 against Bangladesh in March, and in 13 Wellington tests he averages 64.52. In his only Basin test against India in 2009 Taylor scored a match-saving century, and hasn’t played in a losing New Zealand team there since 2010.
THE VERDICT
With Ishant Sharma back from injury to bolster a powerful India pace attack they are deserved favourites, and with largely clear weather forecast a result either way looks highly likely.
Neil Wagner’s absence to be at the birth of his first child takes the edge off New Zealand’s attack, after his dynamic, aggressive performances in the past year as Williamson’s go-to.
Like Sharma, Trent Boult is lacking match practice too as he returns from a broken hand, so the Black Caps attack has questions to answer against Kohli and company. But if they bowl first they will fancy their chances of knocking over India’s top order.