NZ v WI 2020: Ideal playing XI for both teams ahead of second T20I at Mount Maunganui
In the first T20I match between the sides, fans witnessed an enthralling high-scoring contest even though it was reduced to a 16-over game due to the rain. Kieron Pollard further strengthened his T20 batting credentials by playing a belligerent knock of 75*(in 37 balls) after coming in to bat when his team was struggling at 59-5 in the sixth over.
For New Zealand, express pacer Lockie Ferguson starred with a career-best effort (5/21) as he picked up his maiden 5-wicket haul in T20I cricket. New Zealand later chased down the target convincingly due to the collective work of their middle-order batsmen.
The West Indies team will be looking to level the series by winning the second match.
The Bay Oval at Mount Maunganui is the venue for the second T20I of the series and has historically been a batsmen's paradise. 172 runs is the average first innings total at this ground, and in the second innings, it reduces to 143. Batsmen have managed to score at a run-rate of over 9 in most T20I matches played at the venue.
Considering all these factors, we can expect another high-scoring thriller between the two sides on Sunday. The West Indies teams played a T20I match in Mount Maunganui during their previous tour of New Zealand. The hosts won that match comprehensively by a 119-run margin.
The Kiwis team batted first and ended with a mammoth total of 243/5 on the scoreboard. West Indies meekly surrendered as they were all out for 124 runs. Ish Sodhi finished that match with numbers of 2/25. Windies skipper Kieron Pollard will be hoping for a much-improved performance from his side this time around.
The pacers have proven to be expensive at this venue, and they have a cumulative economy of 9.70 in the T20I games played at the ground. Both the teams might favor their spinners if they are aware of this stat.
Hamish Bennett was very expensive in the first match as he conceded 50 runs in just 2.3 overs. He even bowled two beamers in the game. The situation forced his skipper to replace him with Neesham in the middle of the 16th over.
The New Zeland team management might bring Ish Sodhi back into the playing XI for this match in Bennett's place. It will provide them with a more balanced bowling attack with 4 pace bowling and 2 spin bowling options.
West Indies, on the other hand, might replace Keemo Paul with leg-spinner Hayden Walsh. Keemo Paul proved to be expensive in the first T20I as he leaked 39 runs in 3 overs. Fabien Allen also gave away a lot of runs with the ball but played a handy knock with the bat, so he is still likely to start the second T20I.
New Zealand's ideal XI:
Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Ross Taylor, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee (c), Kyle Jamieson, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi
West Indies' ideal XI:
Andre Fletcher, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran(WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Kieron Pollard(c), Rovman Powell, Fabian Allen, Kesrick Williams, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh