Match Details:
The 2nd of the five matches of the T20I bilateral series between New Zealand and Australia will be played on 25th February at the University Oval, Dunedin.
The match is scheduled to start at 2:00 PM local time and 6:30 AM IST and it will be streamed live on Fan code.
Preview:
New Zealand had come into this series with hopes of dominating it and fortunately have managed to start it off with a bang. In the first T20I, they were reduced to 19 for 3 in the first couple of overs but managed to make a good comeback and post a huge total. They would be focused on having some contributions from their top order and senior players like Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill, and Colin Munro. The batting form of Devon Conway and Tim Seifert will give immense joy to their team as well.
Australia, on the other hand, will have a lot of thinking to do ahead of the second match. After losing their first match in the series, the Australian batting unit would want to take some responsibility and hope there’s not a batting collapse around the corner again. Captain Aaron Finch will feel some pressure after failing to start this season with a good score with the bat. It will be interesting to see if they bounce back and level the series on Thursday or New Zealand solidify their lead with another victory.
NZ vs AUS Weather Report for 2nd T20I:
The weather is expected to be sunny in Dunedin with scattered clouds in the sky. The temperatures will be ranging between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius while the humidity levels will be at 73 percent. There is absolutely no chance of rain in this match.
Pitch Condition/Report:
The Dunedin pitch has never really hosted a T20I before this. With short boundaries on either side, we can expect that a score of 160 or 170 will be a par score. In addition to that, we can expect some movement of the pacers early on, something which we had seen in the first match as well.
Average first innings score:
166 (In domestic T20 matches and Super Smash)
Record of chasing teams:
Won – 5, Lost – 10
Injury and Availability News:
(Will be added when there is an update)
NZ vs AUS Today’s Playing XIs:
New Zealand
Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert (WK), Kane Williamson (C), Glenn Phillips, Devon Conway, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult
Bench:
Mark Chapman, Hamish Bennett
Australia
Aaron Finch (C), Josh Philippe, Matthew Wade (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Marsh, Daniel Sams, Ashton Agar, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Adam Zampa.
Bench:
D’Arcy Short, Tanveer Sangha, Ben McDermott, Ashton Turner, Jason Behrendorff, Riley Meredith, Andrew Tye.
NZ vs AUS Top Picks for Today’s Dream11 Match:
Devon Conway has been in incredible touch with the bat, so much so that his last three T20 knocks are all above 90. His 99 not out helped New Zealand to win the first match, and his form will be crucial if they want to take the second match as well. He averages 91 in T20Is and has scored three fifty-plus scores in five innings.
Tim Seifert is in remarkable form in this format and he was the player of the series in the recent T20I series against Pakistan, where he scored 176 runs in 3 matches at an average of 88. He also started this series with an important 20-ball 30 and that knock will give him the confidence to go long in this series.
Ish Sodhi bowled a dream spell in the first match of the series. He took four wickets for just 28 runs in his four overs. He marginally missed his five-for and would want to add some more wickets to his tally.
Mitchell Marsh was the only Australian batsman who looked comfortable against the New Zealand attack in the first match. He scored 45 runs from 33 balls at a strike rate of 136.36. He also had a good Big Bash 2020-21, coming into this series.
Glenn Maxwell holds a lot of importance in this line-up. He provides them with firepower and experience, which is quite crucial for them. He has over 1600 runs in the format for Australia with an incredible strike rate of 157.96.
Jhye Richardson has been having a great time with the ball in recent times. He was the highest wicket-taker in the BBL 2020-21 and was picked in the IPL auction for a huge sum of money. He performed well in the first match as well by picking up two wickets from his four overs.
Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:
Captain Options – Devon Conway, Tim Seifert, Glenn Maxwell
Vice-Captain Options – Kane Williamson, Mitchell Marsh, Daniel Sams
Suggested Playing XI No.1 for NZ vs AUS Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Keeper – Tim Seifert, Matthew Wade
Batters – Glenn Phillips, Devon Conway, Mitchell Marsh, Kane Williamson (C)
All-Rounders – Glenn Maxwell (VC), Daniel Sams
Bowlers – Jhye Richardson, Tim Southee, Trent Boult
Suggested Playing XI No.2 for NZ vs AUS Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
Keeper – Tim Seifert (VC), J Philippe
Batters – Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Aaron Finch (C)
All-Rounders – Mitchell Santner, Ashton Agar, Glenn Maxwell
Bowlers – Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Jhye Richardson
Expert Advice:
Both the wicketkeepers Tim Seifert and Matthew Wade are also important batters of their respective team, so it is advised that you pick both of them in the line-up.
Today’s NZ vs AUS Probable Winners:
New Zealand is expected to win this match, after comfortable winning the first match.
