RAJKOT: After a brilliant performance in the series opener in Delhi where India secured their maiden Twenty20 win against New Zealand, the hosts will be facing the Kiwis in the second T20 here on Saturday.

While India will be hoping to bag yet another series win with a victory, New Zealand will definitely look to make a comeback and keep the three-match series alive. India defeated the tourists by 53 runs in the first match.

In the first game, India put up a commendable performance ticking several boxes. Openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will look to continue from where they left at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

Skipper Virat Kohli, who is 12 runs away from becoming the second-highest scorer in T20 International history, will look to continue with his attacking line-up and not tinker with the team combination.

However, as pacer Ashish Nehra retired after the first T20, young Mohammad Siraj might get a look in. Two other points which tilt the balance in favour of India is that they have a winning percentage of 58.82 in the format, compared to New Zealand’s 50.5. The last T20 International at Rajkot’s Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium was back in 2013 when India beat Australia.

While critics may back the Indian team, New Zealand are no pushovers. They too will know that in the encounter before Delhi they had secured wins in all their previous face-offs.

Drawing inspiration from this, match-winning players in the squad like skipper Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls need to step up.

While Tom Latham was the only Kiwi batsman who looked comfortable at the crease in the first game, a lot will also depend on Martin Guptill who is team’s most experienced T20 batsman and has the capability to turn a game on its head single-handedly. Pacer Adam Milne could also get a look in as the Kiwis might look to inject some more threat to their bowling line-up.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2017