NZ vs PAK 1st Test Prediction & Betting Tips
A consolation win in the final T-20 will give some hope to the Pakistani fans but New Zealand, in their home conditions will be a hard nut to crack. Watch as New Zealand host Pakistan for the 1st Test at Bat Oval on 26th December. The match is scheduled to get underway at 11:00 AM local time
The T-20 series was very crucial considering the preparation for the teams for the upcoming T-20 World Cup. The Test series stands of even bigger importance as a win for New Zealand will possibly get them through to the final of the ICC Test Championship. So there’s all to play for.
New Zealand are going to play a full squad thus there is every reason to believe that they’ll be very hard to beat. But do Pakistan have something up their sleeves to pull off an upset ? It’s looks very unlikely considering that their ace batsmen Babar Azam won’t be available for the first Test.
Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling and Tom Blundell form a very strong batting line up while the trio of Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner will cause all kind of trouble for the Pakistani batsmen.
Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell Santner will take over the responsibilities of the all rounders. Looking at New Zealand, they’re packed with genuine match winners and are way ahead of Pakistan in terms of quality and skills.
For Pakistan, the loss of Babar Azam is a massive dent to their chances. Shan Masood, Abid Ali and Azhar Ali are the batsmen they can look up to for some inspiration. Other than them, their batting looks very vulnerable.
Mohammed Rizwan, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail and Faheem Ashraf are more sort of an ODI batsmen and against a quality bowling attack, in challenging conditions they’re bound to struggle.
The bowling however looks decent and can challenge New Zealand. Naseem Shah can generate some serious pace while Shaheen Shah Afridi can be difficult to handle as well. Mohammat Abbas will find any swing that’s on offer while Yasir Shah is one of the best leg spinners going around in world cricket.
All in all, Pakistan batting is a big concern and we expect them to struggle against the New Zealand bowling line up. We’re going in with New Zealand as the favourites for this match.
NZ vs PAK Live Streaming
The series telecast live on PTV Sports in Pakistan while ESPN+ will broadcast the series in the USA, and Supersport have the rights for in South Africa.
How to watch the match online?
Live Streaming: The match will be streamed live Fancode app in India.
NZ vs PAK Toss Prediction
Toss will play a big role as the captain winning the toss will look to bat first as it’ll be very difficult to chase on this wicket.
Weather Report
The weather looks good for the first three days but some rains are predicted from Day 4 onwards.
Pitch Report
The pitch will have a tinge of grass which will make it difficult for the batsmen with the new ball. Once you’re set, there are plenty of runs to offer.
Read on for team previews, betting tips, latest odds and match prediction for New Zealand Vs Pakistan 1st Test
New Zealand Team News & Playing 11
NZ Team News
New Zealand will look to field a full strength side as it’s a great opportunity for them to make their case for the ICC Test Championship final. Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, BJ Watling will be their first choice batsmen while Mitchell Santner and Kyle Jamieson will be the preferred all rounder. The bowling looks settled in Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner.
NZ Key Players
- Tom Latham – Tom Latham has been sensational for New Zealand in Tests. He was brilliant in their last series against West Indies and will look to start from where he left.
- Kane Williamson - The Kiwi skipper is one of the best batsmen going around in Test cricket. His last inning was a mammoth 251 against the West Indies. He can be backed to continue his good run
- Tim Southee - Tim Southee with his swing is sure to trouble the Pakistani batsmen.
NZ Team Form
New Zealand is in some serious form. They thrashed West Indies 2-0 in their last series and now are looking very strong against this Pakistan team.
New Zealand Predicted Playing 11
Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Kane Williamson ©Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling (wk), Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult
Pakistan Team News & Playing 11
PAK Team News
Pakistan’s ace batsman Babar Azam has been ruled out of the first Test due to a thumb fracture along with Imam ul Haq who too have an injured thumb. Both these batsmen didn’t played the T-20 series as well. Also, Shadab Khan will miss the first Test due to a thigh injury.
PAK Key Players
- Azhar Ali - Azhar Ali is the most accomplished Pakistani batsmen in the absence of Babar. He’ll have to play a big knock if Pakistan has to challenge New Zealand
- Shan Masood - Sham Masood is another batsmen that can stand up for Pakistan. He’s a quality player and Pakistan would need him fire against a quality New Zealand attack.
- Shaheen Shah Afridi - Shaheen Shah Afridi with his left arm angle and swing can trouble the New Zealand batsmen. He’ll get good support from Naseem Shah and Mohammed Abbas
PAK Team Form
Form Pakistan are have played 4 Tests in 2020 and have a win, a loss and two draws against their name. Without Babar, they have a big task on their hands against New Zealand
Pakistan Predicted Playing 11
Shan Masoor, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Mohammed Rizwan(c&wk), Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammed Abbas, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Yasir Shah
New Zealand vs Pakistan Head to Head
Pakistan have an upper hand on New Zealand in Tests. However, this New Zealand team is far superior than what they used to be.
NZ vs PAK Head to Head Stats in Tests
| Matches Played |
NZ Won |
PAK Won |
Tie |
Draw |
| 58 |
12 |
25 |
0 |
21 |
New Zealand vs Pakistan Betting Odds
New Zealand are far superior team than West Indies and are big favourites for this match.
New Zealand Bet365 Odds
- NZ to win: New Zealand are 1.30 to win with Bet 365
- NZ top team batsman: Kane Williamson at 3.0 is the top batsmen. You can also place your bet on Tom Latham at 4.5, Ross Taylor at 5.0 and Will Young at 5.50.
- NZ top team bowler: Trent Boult at 3.75 is the best New Zealand bowler followed by Tim Southee at 3,75, Neil Wagner 3.5 and Kyle Jamieson at 4.33
Pakistan Bet365 Odds
- PAK to win: Pakistan are 7.0 to win with Bet 365
- PAK top team batsman: Azhar Ai at 4.5 and Shan Masood at 4.50 can be backed as the best Pakistani batsmen along with Abid Ali at 5.50, Fawad Alam at 6.0 and Haris Sohail at 7.5
- PAK top team bowler: Mohammed Abbas at 3.75 and Shaheen Afridi at 3.75 are the top Pakistani bowlers along with Sohail Khan and Naseem Shah at 4.5 and 5.0 respectively.
New Zealand Betway Odds
- NZ to win:New Zealand are 1.33 to win with Betway
- NZ top team batsman: Kane Williamson at 3.25 is the top batsmen along with Ross Taylor at 4.5, Tom Latham at 4.33 and Henry Nicholls at 5.50.
- NZ top team bowler: Trent Boult at 3.25, Tim Southee at 3.50, Neil Wagner at 3.5 and Kyle Jamieson at 3.75 can be backed as the best New Zealand bowler.
Pakistan Betway Odds
- PAK to win: Pakistan are 6.0 to win with Betway
- PAK top team batsman: Azhar Ali at 4.50 is the topmost batsmen for Pakistan. Other batsmen you can place your bet on are Abid Ali at 5.0, Haris Sohail at 5.0 and Shan Masood at 5.0
- PAK top team bowler: At 2.87, Mohammed Abbas is their best bowler along with Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Sohail Khan at 2.87, 3.25 and 4.33 respectively.
🏆 New Zealand vs Pakistan Prediction
Pakistan have some serious vulnerabilities in their batting lineup. Without Babar Azam, we expect them to struggle against New Zealand’s bowling. We’re going with New Zealands are massive favourites for this game.
Dec 26 - Dec 30, 2020
03:30 IST / 2:00 GMT
Bay Oval - Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
Leave Your Comment
We do our best to give you most accurate & useful match predictions and would love to hear from you. Let us know if we need to improve. Share your own predictions for the matches. Let's talk: