After a thrilling opening Test between India and New Zealand that ended in a hard-fought draw, the teams have now arrived in Mumbai for the second Test starting at the Wankhede Stadium from Friday . That draw meant that New Zealand’s wait for a Test win on Indian soil since 1988 extended even further.
For India, skipper Virat Kohli returns after being rested for the first Test, while Ajinkya Rahane, who stood in for Kohli in Kanpur, has put himself at risk of missing out on playing XI spot with scores of 35 and four.
Shreyas Iyer scored a century (105) on Test debut and followed it up with a knock of 65.His brilliant start to his Test career means he will be in the reckoning for the second Test as well.
Axar Patel collected his fifth five wicket haul in Tests when he got rid of Tim Southee in the first innings, and he will be raring to go once again in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel returns to the city of his birth. Ajaz, born in 1988, shifted to New Zealand in 1996 along with his parents, where he played for Central Districts, and eventually got his New Zealand call-up in 2018.
Both teams, will, however, have a cautious look at the weather in Mumbai. Mumbai witnessed lashing of some off-season rain on Wednesday, -forcing both teams to call off their respective training sessions.
According to Weather.com, rains might continue heading to Thursday, with an 80 percent chance of rain in the city. On Friday, the day when the Test begins, it is not that worrisome but still there is a 40 percent chance of rain. And while there’s no rain forecast over the weekend, cloudy skies are expected to be prevalent.
However, there’s some relief on the last two days of the Test on Monday and Tuesday, as the sun is expected to prevail over the cloudy skies. According to Weather.com, the forecast for Monday and Tuesday says it’s going to be ‘mainly sunny’.
According to news agency PTI, with heavy outfield expected in Wankhede, Indians would travel to Bandra-Kurla Complex, which has indoor facilities.
The report also adds that with the pitches being covered, there is expected to be a lot moisture underneath the surface that could help the seamers while also assisting the tweakers in getting some turn. . .