Who will win New Zealand vs South Africa 2nd Test?
The first test at Dunedin ended in a draw as play was called off on the final day due to wet outfield. With the series squared, the two teams now head to the Basin Reserve in Wellington for the second test which gets underway from March 16. NZ vs SA 2nd test is scheduled to start at 11 AM local time.
NZ vs SA 2nd Test: Where to watch/Live streaming
TV channels: Supersport, Sky Sport 1, Fox Sports 2
Live streaming: Bet365, Sky Go, Foxtel Go
Toss Prediction
Out of the last 16 test matches at the Basin Reserve that have produced a result, 11 (including the most recently played 2) have been won by the side batting second. So there is a sort of toss bias here and the team that wins the toss in this match is more likely to bowl first. New Zealand have lost the toss four times in their last five tests at this venue which is why we predict South Africa to win the toss on Thursday.
Read on for team previews, latest odds, betting tips and match prediction for NZ vs SA 2nd Test...
New Zealand Team News & Playing 11
Team News
New Zealand have received a double blow as star batsman Ross Taylor and frontline seamer Trent Boult have both been ruled out of the second test due to leg injuries. While Tim Southee will replace Boult, Taylor will be replaced by Neil Broom who will be making his test debut.
Key Players
With Ross Taylor out, there will be extra responsibility on the shoulders of Kane Williamson. The skipper is averaging close to 80 at the Basin Reserve with three hundreds and as many fifties from eight tests. He scored 130 in the first game and New Zealand will want him to carry on from where he left off. Tim Southee and Neil Wagner will be the key in the Kiwi bowling attack. Southee has done well at this ground with 23 wickets from 9 matches while Wagner took a match haul of five wickets in the first test.
Recent Form
Since last facing a 321-run defeat at the hands of India in October 2016, New Zealand have since played five tests and have won four of them with the most recent one against South Africa ending in a draw at Dunedin. The Kiwis have three wins, one draw and one loss in their last five tests at the Basin Reserve.
New Zealand Predicted Playing 11
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TWM Latham, JA Raval, KS Williamson (c), Neil Broom, HM Nicholls, JS Patel, JDS Neesham, BJ Watling (wk), MJ Santner, N Wagner, Tim Southee.
South Africa Team News & Playing 11
Team News
South Africa will be coming into this test with a clean bill of health with all their players match-fit and they are likely to go in with an unchanged combination.
Key Players
Dean Elgar and Faf du Plessis were the most impressive of all the South African batters in the first test. Elgar scored an excellent 140 and 89 in the respective innings while du Plessis struck a fifty in each innings. The two seem to be in good form and will hold the key in the team's batting. Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander claimed a six-wicket haul each the last time South Africa played a test match against New Zealand at this ground five years ago in 2012. Both picked up a couple of wickets apiece at Dunedin and they are likely to pose a big challenge for the Kiwi batsmen.
Recent Form
South Africa have lost just one of their past ten test matches and that solitary defeat came against Australia at Adelaide last year in November. So the Proteas have done remarkably well in the longest format of the game in recent times, both at home as well as overseas.
South Africa Predicted Playing 11
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SC Cook, D Elgar, HM Amla, JP Duminy, F du Plessis (c), T Bavuma, Q de Kock (wk), VD Philander, KA Maharaj, K Rabada, M Morkel.
Team Form in Last Five Matches (most recent first)
New Zealand: D W W W W
South Africa: D W W W L
New Zealand vs South Africa Head to Head
New Zealand last won a test match against South Africa way back in 2004 at Auckland and it was a very convincing win indeed. Since then, the two teams have played 14 matches against each other with the Proteas winning 9 of them. South Africa have never lost a test at the Basin Reserve. They have faced the Kiwis here six times in the past and have registered wins on four occasions.
New Zealand vs South Africa 2nd Test Betting Odds
South Africa will be psychologically ahead as they have either won or drawn a test match at this ground. All of the four wins against New Zealand here have come by huge margins and the tourists therefore will walk into this match as favorites to win at 1.96 with betfair, 1.90 with bet365 and 1.95 with betway. The hosts will be without two of their key players - Ross Taylor and Trent Boult - and this is one of the main reasons why they are outsiders for the second test at 3.8 with 1xbet, 3.40 with bet365 and 2.95 with betway. A draw is up at 4.4, 4.25 and 4 respectively.
New Zealand vs South Africa 2nd Test Prediction
There has been only one drawn game in the last five test matches at the Basin Reserve. And also since the forecast is promising enough over the next five days with a slight possibility of showers on Day 3, a draw seems to be the least favourable outcome. This leaves us with one of the two choices - a New Zealand win or a South Africa win.
The hosts have won only four of their last 14 tests at this ground which is not an impressive record for a home team. Their batting and bowling is also going to get affected as they will be without Taylor and Boult. Plus, they will be taking on a side that has never lost a test at this ground and has a superior head-to-head record in recent times. Considering all this, we predict South Africa to emerge winners in this second test.
Final Verdict: Back South Africa to beat New Zealand in the second test at 1.96 with 1xbet, 1.90 with bet365 and 1.95 with betway.
Mar 16, 2017
03:30 IST / 2:00 GMT
Basin Reserve - Wellington, New Zealand
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