New Zealand vs India 2020: 3 key mini battles within the Test series

#3 Cheteshwar Pujara vs Neil Wagner

India’s glue in Test match batting line-up has been their No. 3 Cheteshwar Pujara for the last few years. He has been the fulcrum around which the innings have revolved. Pujara plays the patience game very well that allows the others to play their natural game.

New Zealand’s left arm pacer Neil Wagner was one of the very impressive bowlers last year and was the only bright spot in an otherwise poor tour Down Under a couple of months ago. The usage of short ball by Wagner has made even the best batters duck for cover and change their batting plans.

Wagner has been very successful in employing that tactics of bowling bouncers and it is expected to give a plenty of them to Indian batsmen. Wagner’s plan against Pujara could be watched very keenly through the series. Will Pujara’s patience make Wagner to alter his plan of going bodyline or the Saurashtra batsman decide to take on the bowler in order to upset the bowler’s plan will be a huge battle to look forward to.