India vs New Zealand 2nd T20I: Major changes in India Squad

India vs New Zealand, 2nd T20I Predicted XI: Hardik Pandya-led India face New Zealand in a must-win encounter to level the three-match T20I series against New Zealand, on Sunday.The match will be held at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. India vs New Zealand 2nd T20I: Major changes in India Squad.

A total of eight T20 matches were played at this venue out which 5 have been won by teams batting first. Three have been won by teams bowling first.The average first innings score is 157 while the average second innings score is 129. The highest total is 199/2 which was scored by India against Sri Lanka 11 months ago.

In the first game, India was caught in a web of spin on the tricky Ranchi surface and lost by 21 runs on Friday. The loss also highlighted the weakness in India’s bowling department, especially by the pace duo of Arshdeep Singh and Umran Malik.

While tearaway pacer Malik conceded 16 runs in one over, Arshdeep leaked 27 runs in the last over, which put pressure on the Indian batters while chasing. That expensive over from the young left-arm quick was the turning point as he was smashed for three sixes and a boundary.

Hence, skipper Pandya may bring in uncapped pace bowler Mukesh Kumar for the second T20I, considering this is a high-scoring venue. It will also help Arshdeep get some of his confidence back. Picking up wickets will be crucial and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal could be an essential cog in the bowling department.

India’s batters were off to an inauspicious start, with the top three managing just 15 runs. The hosts scored 155/9, which would have been a par score to defend on the wicket, but that was primarily due to Washington Sundar’s brilliant solo effort. The big concern is the form of critical batters – Ishan Kishan and Deepak Hooda.

Kishan is nowhere near the ominous form he showed while slamming a record-breaking ODI double-century. Since then, Ishan’s scores in the last seven innings in both ODIs and T20Is read 37, 2, 1, 5, 8 n.o., 17 and 4. If one considers the T20Is, it’s been a while since he last scored a fifty — against South Africa on June 14, 2022. Hooda, too, has yet to enjoy much success as a lower middle-order batter and averages just 17.88 in the last 13 innings, with the highest being the unbeaten 41 against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede.

Mumbai opener Prithvi Shaw has returned to the side and Pandya might just be tempted to fiddle his set opening combination of Gill and Kishan for this must-win match.

India vs New Zealand, 2nd T20I Weather Report: The weather in Lucknow is clear with no possibility of rain and hence we should have a full game. Temperatures will hover around 16 degrees and humidity is expected to be between 74-77 percent.

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