While Mark Chapman fell without scoring, and Glenn Phillips is yet to produce a substantial knock on the tour, the visitors will be backing them to come good in the second T20I in Lucknow, especially with pressure now on India to keep the series alive.
For India, things went exactly the opposite way in the first T20I. During the ODIs, their top order was causing New Zealand big trouble. In Ranchi, though, Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan and Rahul Tripathi contributed only 11 runs from 17 balls as India slipped to 15 for 3 in the fourth over.
India do have Prithvi Shaw in the squad, but before the first T20I, Hardik Pandya had said that Shubman Gill was ahead of him in the pecking order. The team management is unlikely to change its mind after just one game.
India LWLWT (Last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
New Zealand WTLLW
With Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav bowling economic spells in Ranchi, while also picking up three wickets between them, Yuzvendra Chahal may have to sit out again. Arshdeep Singh had leaked 27 in the final over but until then he had figures of 1 for 24 from three overs. So he should retain his spot, especially with India thin on experience in the fast bowling department.
India (probable): 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya (capt), 6 Deepak Hooda, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Shivam Mavi, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Umran Malik, 11 Arshdeep Singh
New Zealand may not want to change a winning combination. That means left-arm seamer Ben Lister will have to wait for his debut.
New Zealand (probable): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Mark Chapman, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Michael Bracewell, 7 Mitchell Santner (capt), 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Jacob Duffy, 11 Blair Tickner
All five T20Is hosted by the Ekana Stadium to date have been won by the side batting first. And with New Zealand defending 176 successfully in the first T20I despite a threat of dew in the second innings, both teams may prefer batting first after winning the toss.
