New Zealand vs India 2nd T20I Predictions – Samson’s runs to take India 2-0 ahead of New Zealand

Simon Lewis

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Last updated: 24 minutes ago

Simon Lewis 24 minutes ago

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India won the 1st T20I after chasing 226 to win by four wickets with two balls in hand.
New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips scored 82* off 40 balls.
Sanju Samson struck 67 off 33 balls with four sixes to set up the win.

Sanju Samson has scored 82, 56 & 67 in 5 knocks (Getty Images).

India are backed to make it 2-0 after showing exceptional batting depth in the series opener. New Zealand posted a formidable 225/4 but India chased it down despite a mid-innings wobble. Kishan's absence weakens the visitors slightly but Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and Dhir give them enough depth to retain the edge on another true Hagley surface.

New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips scored 82* off 40 balls in the 1st T20I.
New Zealand’s Finn Allen made 45 from 24 balls against India.
India’s Sanju Samson scored 67 off 33 balls.
Dhir hit an unbeaten 42 from only 15 deliveries to win the 1st T20I.
New Zealand’s Michael Bracewell has 13 wickets in his last 4 matches
India have won their last 3 T20Is against New Zealand.

Head-to-Head

India lead the T20I rivalry against their hosts with 19 wins to 11, along with three ties. They have now won six of the last seven meetings with New Zealand including T20 World Cup final in March and Thursday's four-wicket win at the same Christchurch venue.

New Zealand Form

New Zealand produced an excellent batting display in the opener to post 225/4. Allen gave them early momentum with 45 off 24 balls (two sixes) but it was Phillips' unbeaten 82 (eight fours, three sixes) was the dominant innings. Bevon Jacobs chipped in with 31 from 16 balls as the hosts posted a competitive score.

The New Zealand bowlers failed to gain any dominance over their opposition top order as India scored 68 in the first four overs. The Black Caps were also guilty of conceding too many extras. Mitchell Santner helped to trigger a mid-innings fightback but the hosts lacked the firepower on a docile pitch to close out what ended as a thrilling finish.

India Form

India arrived after a 2-2 home series against West Indies and immediately produced a record chase. Samson led the assault with four sixes in a brutal 33-ball 67 backed up by Abhishek Sharma’s 12-ball 29. Shreyas Iyer added 42 from 28 while Naman Dhir gave the innings a late boost with 42 off just 15 balls and seven boundaries.

Their bowling unit took some stick with all five frontline options going for at least 10 to the over, so India will want a more controlled display if conditions again favour batting.

Team News

India have confirmed Ishan Kishan will miss the match with a low-grade right adductor strain. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak indicated Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could come into the XI. New Zealand are expected to stay close to the combination that made 225/4, although their bowling discipline is under pressure after the opening defeat.

The opener showed Hagley Oval can be extremely good for batting once players settle, with 455 runs racked up in the match. The forecast for Saturday is dry and mainly sunny, with a warm day giving way to a much cooler evening. Dew may again favour the chasing side, so bowling first remains the preferred toss call.

New Zealand (possible XI): Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson.

India (possible XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.

Verdict

New Zealand v India

India remain the prime pick for the win after proving they can absorb pressure and still chase a huge target, although their win is at fairly low odds. Phillips and Samson are the standout batters to back, with Michael Bracewell looking the most consistent wicket-taker on the park.

India Win

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Simon is a talented sports writer in South Africa with a strong focus on cricket having played first-team level for UCT, including playing at two Universities Weeks.

From a young age Simon was an avid reader of cricket magazines and books, and went on to be Editor of The Googly, CricketScene SA and SA Cricket, in addition to being a Features Writer on SA Sports Illustrated.

He has interviewed most of South Africa's premier cricketers and was the first writer to interview a teenaged Jacques Kallis.

Simon has also written about English and local football, rugby and cricket, in addition to major international tennis and golf stars and competitions.

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