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The Black Caps have never had a perfect summer at home in test cricket, but they have more reason to want one now than ever.
If they add a clean sweep of Pakistan over the next two weeks to the clean sweep of the West Indies they achieved in early December, they will be in the spot when it comes to securing a spot in the World Testing Championship final.
Anything less – even a win and a draw – is unlikely to be enough to earn Lord’s a trip to London next June and Captain Kane Williamson made it clear before the series opener at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui that Boxing Day begins, they are not getting ahead of themselves.
“I think the context of that is great for the game in general, having the test championship, but our focus, as it was in the last two tests, is basically to start over and adapt to the conditions that we are going through. have, ”he said.
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“We know how good Pakistan is and we are going to have to do our best from that first day here on Mt.
“It’s about getting back to basics for ourselves and basically touching what’s in front of us instead of getting carried away by potential and eventual things.”
It should be noted that there have already been four times that the Black Caps have won all of their home trials in one summer, but those were all seasons where they played a single two-trial series and won both games.
Every time they have received more than one opponent and played more than two events, they have ended with at least one draw or one loss.
They have come close in each of the last three seasons, winning three of their four home events and drawing the other, against England in 2017-18 and 2019-20 and Sri Lanka in 2018-19, and there would be no better time. Than now to finally get over the line, in a series with more online than most others.
There wasn’t much to criticize about the Black Caps series win over the West Indies, where they only had to hit twice and were able to have day five (and most of day four) to themselves in both tests after getting their job. done early.
Ross Taylor would probably like a few runs, in what will be a record 438 appearance for New Zealand in all formats, as did Tom Blundell (they were the only hitters to hit in both innings and did not pass 40) but for the most part this is a side seated at the top of its game.
NZC
Black Caps captain Kane Williamson returns to training after the birth of his first child.
Seamers Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner had their moments against the West Indies and Southee enters this test needing four more wickets to join Sir Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori as the third New Zealander in the 300 wickets club. .
Larger questions arise when considering what Pakistan will be able to muster, without captain Babar Azam, batter Imam-ul-Haq and all-rounder Shadab Khan all out of the game with injuries. Azhar Ali will be the gate of the prize and if it goes cheap, so will his team.
There were times when the West Indies had a chance to take control in both trials, especially on the first day in Wellington where Henry Nicholls lived a lovely life, but they couldn’t catch them.
If those moments arise for Pakistan, and it is not known if they will, they cannot let them slip away.
More than 5,000 tickets are believed to have been purchased for the first day at Bay Oval, which hosts its second test match, and the first that begins on Boxing Day, at a time of year when tourists flock to the region.
As the Black Caps chase their third test win of the summer and that ticket to Lord’s next June, they should have no shortage of support.
Black Caps v Pakistan Test Series
Black Caps Template: Kane Williamson (c), Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult
Pakistan Squad: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Yasir Shah, Zafar Gohar
Dec 26-30, 11 a.m. M .: First Test at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
Jan 3-7, 11 a.m. M .: Second Test at Hagley Oval, Christchurch
All matches broadcast by Spark Sport with live coverage on Stuff.
