WTC Final: Head-to-head record of New Zealand bowlers against current Indian batsmen

Ahead of their World Test Championship (WTC) final clash against India, New Zealand registered a resounding series win against England in Edgbaston last week.

New Zealand rested some of their key players like Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson, and Colin de Grandhomme for the second Test against England. Nevertheless, they still managed to beat England convincingly, which should give them enormous confidence ahead of their WTC clash against India.

The @BLACKCAPS have named a 15-member squad for the #WTC21 Final 👇 pic.twitter.com/g2T4XNCrMW

— ICC (@ICC) June 15, 2021

New Zealand possess one of the most lethal bowling attacks in Test cricket, especially in swinging conditions. Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner and Kyle Jamieson form a deadly pace quartet. Left-arm orthodox spinner Ajaz Patel is the lone tweaker in New Zealand's WTC final squad, while Colin de Grandhomme is the only all-rounder.

Tim Southee has been in prime form with the ball in recent times. He picked up 51 wickets and is the highest wicket-taker for New Zealand in the WTC.

In the last few years, player matchups have become a key part of strategies and plans for teams. The likes of Eoin Morgan and Rohit Sharma have used it to attain success in major tournaments in the past.

So both Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson will look closely at the individual matchups in the upcoming WTC final. Key battles like Rohit Sharma vs Trent Boult, Virat Kohli vs Kyle Jamieson, Ajinkya Rahane vs Neil Wagner and Cheteshwar Pujara vs Tim Southee might decide the fate of the WTC summit clash.

On that note, let's have a look at how New Zealand bowlers have fared against the current Indian batters in Tests so far.

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Tim Southee

Tim Southee

Tim Southee could be a significant threat for the Indian batters in the upcoming game. He has an excellent head-to-head record against the three pillars of Indian middle order: Pujara, Kohli,and Rahane.

The right-arm swing specialist has two five-wicket hauls against India in Test cricket. Southee's best Test figures of 7/64 came against India in 2012 in Bengaluru.

Southee's dismissal rate of the current Indian batters in Tests is as follows -

Rohit Sharma - 1 (4 innings)

Mayank Agarwal - 1 (4 innings)

Cheteshwar Pujara - 3 (10 innings)

Virat Kohli - 3 (10 innings)

Ajinkya Rahane - 4 (8 innings)

Rishabh Pant - 1 (4 innings)

Hanuma Vihari - 2 (4 innings)

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Trent Boult

Trent Boult

Trent Boult's inswinging ability with the new ball could provide a stern test for the likes of Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara in the WTC final. India's top-order batsmen should devise plans accordingly and play with a compact defence to negate Boult's threat.

The left-armer has best figures of 4/28 against India in Tests.

Boult's dismissal rate of the current Indian batters is as follows:

Rohit Sharma - 1 (10 innings)

Mayank Agarwal - 1 (4 innings)

Cheteshwar Pujara - 4 (17 innings)

Virat Kohli - 3 (17 innings)

Ajinkya Rahane - 3 (14 innings)

Rishabh Pant - 1 (4 innings).

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Neil Wagner

Neil Wagner

New Zealand's short-ball specialist Neil Wagner has a decent record against India. Even though he does not pick up wickets in heaps, he is still a vital cog in his team's bowling attack.

Wagner's ability to attack relentlessly with testing lines and short-pitched balls tends to soften the opponent's batsmen and make them lose concentration. Boult and Southee usually take advantage of that and pick up wickets at the other end.

During India's tour of New Zealand in 2020, Rahane looked clueless while facing the bouncers of Neil Wagner. Kane Williamson will likely remember that and deploy Wagner against Rahane. The left-armer has best figures of 4/62 against India in Test cricket.

Wagner's dismissal rate of the current Indian batters is as follows:

Cheteshwar Pujara - 1 (10 innings).

Virat Kohli - 3 (10 innings)

Ajinkya Rahane - 1 (10 innings)

Hanuma Vihari - 1 (2 innings).

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Kyle Jamieson

Kyle Jamieson

Kyle Jamieson made his Test debut against India last year. With consistent performances, he has managed to cement his place in the New Zealand side.

The lanky pacer's ability to extract indifferent bounce and late swing could test India's batsmen in Southampton. He has best figures of 5/45 against India in Tests, which he picked up at the Hagley Oval last year.

Kyle Jamieson has been a menace in this Test. His Expected Average (27.1) is the best of any bowler on either side; this is likely a consequence of his average seam movement, 0.7 degrees, being the most of anyone in the game on a pitch where we've seen very little. #ENGvNZ

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) June 5, 2021

Jamieson's dismissal rate of India's current batters is as follows:

Cheteshwar Pujara - 2 (4 innings)

Virat Kohli - 1 (4 innings)

Hanuma Vihari - 1 (4 innings)

Rishabh Pant - 1 (4 innings).

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Matt Henry

New Zealand's Matt Henry

Matt Henry will most likely be a backup bowler for New Zealand if they are beset by any last-minute injuries. He has played only two Tests against India so far, picking up two wickets.

Henry's dismissal rate of the current Indian batters is as follows:

Cheteshwar Pujara - 1 (4 innings).

Ajinkya Rahane - 1 (4 innings).

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Colin de Grandhomme

Colin de Grandhomme celebrating Virat Kohli's wicket.

The veteran New Zealand all-rounder has picked up only one wicket against India so far in Test cricket. De Grandhomme trapped Indian captain Virat Kohli LBW with a beautiful inswinger during the second innings of the second Test in 2020.