The second Test of the ongoing series between Zimbabwe and New Zealand will be played at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo from August 7.
New Zealand were clinical in the opening Test. They won comfortably by nine wickets. Matt Henry finished with nine wickets in the match. Stand-in captain Mitchell Santner bagged a four-wicket haul in the second innings, guiding his side to a strong start in the series.
Ahead of the second Test, the visitors have made two changes to their squad. Ben Lister and Zakary Foulkes have been included after injuries ruled out Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith. O’Rourke is recovering from a back issue, while Smith has suffered an abdominal strain. Santner will continue to lead the side as Tom Latham has been ruled out of the second Test as well.
On the other hand, Zimbabwe have added experience to their squad by bringing back Brendan Taylor. The former captain returns after serving a three-and-a-half-year ban for violating the ICC’s anti-corruption code.
Craig Ervine and his team will be keen to bounce back. They have lost all of their last five Test matches. With the return of Taylor and lessons learned from the first defeat, the hosts will be aiming for a more competitive showing.
Zimbabwe vs New Zealand Pitch Report: Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
Conditions at Queens Sports Club are not the easiest for batters. Early on, there is some pace and the ball can zip through, but once it gets older, it starts holding up and becomes harder to play shots on. Bounce is not always consistent either, which keeps bowlers interested throughout. Another low-scoring contest could be on the cards.
Zimbabwe vs New Zealand Weather Report
As per the weather forecast, the second Test between Zimbabwe and New Zealand will not be interrupted by rain. The average temperature will be 24 to 27 degrees Celsius during the day in the five days to play.
Zimbabwe vs New Zealand Squads
Zimbabwe: Craig Ervine (c), Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Nick Welch, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Newman Nyamhuri, Vincent Masekesa, Blessing Muzarabani, Tanaka Chivanga, Brendan Taylor, Wellington Masakadza, Roy Kaia, Tanunurwa Makoni, Clive Madande, Trevor Gwandu.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Will Young, Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Zakary Foulkes, Matt Henry, Ben Lister, Jacob Duffy, Ajaz Patel, Matthew Fisher, Bevon Jacobs.
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