NZ vs IND Dream11 Team Prediction (2nd Test), Fantasy Cricket Tip & Playing 11 Updates for Today's Cricket Match - Feb 29th, 2020

The final match of India's tour of New Zealand gets underway on Saturday as both teams face off in the second Test in Christchurch. The Kiwis hold the advantage after a clinical performance in the previous game. With Neil Wagner set to return for this game, the Kiwis will be eyeing another home Test win at the expense of the Indians. However, India cannot be taken lightly with a formidable bowling attack in their ranks. Virat Kohli and his men would look to make amends in this Test as they look to strengthen their top spot in the ICC Test Championship. Here are a few tips to help you pick your Dream11 team for NZ vs IND.

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NZ vs IND Teams:

New Zealand:

Kane Williamson (C), Henry Nicholls, Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, BJ Watling, Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Daryl Mitchell, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry

Also see – IPL 2020 schedule

India:

Virat Kohli (C), Cheteshwar Pujara, Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Mayank Agarwal, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Ishant Sharma

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Playing 11 Updates:

New Zealand:

The New Zealand think-tank has a selection headache with Neil Wagner returning to the side. They will have to leave one of Kyle Jamieson or Ajaz Patel out for Wagner, who has been their best bowler over the last year or so. Apart from the one change, the Kiwis should remain unchanged with a series win in their sights. New Zealand has a very solid and experienced batting unit with the likes of Tom Latham and Kane Williamson in decent form.

Their batting depth was evident in the previous game with Tim Southee and even Trent Boult getting in the act with the bat. As for the bowlers, more of the same is expected from them with Wagner's inclusion adding another dimension. Colin de Grandhomme's presence in the side adds balance to the team, which should serve the Kiwis well in Christchurch.

Possible XI: Latham, Blundell, Williamson (C), Taylor, Nicholls, Watling(WK), de Grandhomme, Southee, Boult, Wagner and Jamieson/Patel.

India:

Despite losing the first Test, India shouldn't be making many changes to the playing XI. While Jadeja could feature at the expense of Ashwin, the rest of the side picks itself owing to their form. While Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal should open the batting, the onus lies upon the experienced trio of Pujara, Kohli and Rahane in the middle order. Hanuma Vihari occupies the number six spot and also doubles up as a handy bowling option.

While Pant should don the gloves for this game, the bowlers will need to step up after slightly underperforming in the previous game. Jasprit Bumrah is one to keep an out for in this game as he leads the attack alongside Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami.

Possible XI: Shaw, Agarwal, Pujara, Virat(C), Rahane, Vihari, Pant(WK), Jadeja/Ashwin, Ishant, Shami and Bumrah.

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Match Details:

New Zealand vs India, 2nd Test

29th February 2020, 4:00 AM IST

Hagley Oval, Christchurch

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Pitch Report:

A similar wicket to that in Wellington is expected for this Test match. Although the batting is relatively comfortable at the Hagley Oval, the pacers will again be crucial to either side's fortunes. The spinners should also have a say as the game progresses while the batsmen might take some to get to terms with the nature of the pitch. With overcast conditions on the forecast for Saturday, bowling first upon winning the toss is the ideal scenario for either side.

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NZ vs IND Dream11 Tips:

Wicket-keeper: Although Tom Blundell has played only five Tests for the Kiwis, he has shown enough promise with two hundreds to his name. He is the preferred option ahead of Rishabh Pant, who isn't in the best of form off late. A viable alternative to Blundell would be BJ Watling, who had a stunning 2019 with 559 runs from the lower middle order. With his added keeping ability, he could also be picked instead of Blundell.

Batsmen: Kane Williamson and Cheteshwar Pujara are must-have players in the fantasy team. New Zealand captain Williamson had a good outing in the previous Test with a well-composed 89. While Pujara didn't have the best of outings in Wellington, his ability to tire the bowling attack and score big runs is a handy option to have in the fantasy team.

While Ajinkya Rahane's excellent record in New Zealand holds him in good stead, Virat Kohli can be backed to overturn his poor run in this game. The likes of Ross Taylor and Mayank Agarwal are good picks as well while Tom Latham could also be picked with the southpaw averaging more than 40 at this venue.

Allrounders: Fast bowling allrounder Colin de Grandhomme is a valuable asset to any fantasy team. de Grandhomme had a good outing in Wellington as he scored 43 runs and also picked a wicket in the second innings. With the pitch suiting his skill-set, he is selected in the fantasy team. If one were to prefer an extra allrounder in the side, Hanuma Vihari would be the ideal choice. Ravindra Jadeja is a viable alternative to Vihari and could be picked if he features in the Indian team for this game.

Bowlers: As many as five bowlers are preferred for this game given the nature of the pitch. While Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult are must-have players in the side, the returning Neil Wagner cannot be ignored. Man-of-the-match in the previous game, Tim Southee has 32 wickets in six matches at the Hagley Oval and is a reliable pick as well. While Ishant Sharma was India's best bowler in the previous game, Mohammad Shami is also a viable option owing to his ability to trouble batsmen with his pace and swing.

Captain: Kane Williamson and Cheteshwar Pujara are the ideal options for this game given their ability to score big runs in the top order. While Williamson's form makes him a popular choice, Pujara is due for a big one and should come up with a good performance in Christchurch. While Ross Taylor has been in fine form against the Indians in all three formats, one could opt for a bowler for captaincy with Mohammed Shami and Trent Boult being worthwhile options.

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Dream11 Team Prediction:

Fantasy Suggestion #1:

Tom Blundell, Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Tom Latham, Hanuma Vihari, Neil Wagner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.

Captain: Kane Williamson, Vice-Captain: Cheteshwar Pujara

Fantasy Suggestion #2:

Tom Blundell, Mayank Agarwal, Kane Williamson, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.

Captain: Ross Taylor, Vice-Captain: Mohammed Shami