Wellington [New Zealand], December 5: New Zealand has named an unchanged playing XI for the second Test of their series against England, set to take place in Wellington on Thursday.
In the first Test in Christchurch, England triumphed by eight wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the series. This marks just the third time in their last 47 Test matches that New Zealand has named an unchanged XI, including the upcoming Test, as per ICC statistics.
England has also opted for consistency, naming the same playing XI that impressed in the series opener.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, New Zealand captain Tom Latham acknowledged his team’s disappointing performance in the first Test, particularly in the fielding department. He emphasized that while they didn’t specifically focus on fielding, the team continued to put in the necessary work behind the scenes to be ready for the second Test.
“We haven’t necessarily put an extra focus on it. We understand we weren’t at our best last game, but as I’ve said, we try to keep things as level as possible. We always put the work in behind the scenes, regardless of whether things have gone our way or not,” Latham said.
Recapping the first Test, England’s Jacob Bethell marked his debut with an impressive fifty, while Brydon Carse’s brilliant bowling performance, taking 6/42, guided England to a comfortable win. After starting Day 4 with a four-run lead, New Zealand managed to add just 99 more runs, with Daryl Mitchell (84) top-scoring. Carse then dismantled the tailenders, setting England a modest target of 104 runs. Bethell’s superb unbeaten fifty sealed the win in just 37 balls.
New Zealand Playing XI: Tom Latham (C), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (WK), Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke.