New Zealand take on Pakistan in the second T20I of the three-match series at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Sunday evening.

Despite missing a lot of its Test regulars, New Zealand won the opening T20I of this three-game series by five wickets as they restricted the visitors to a par total before chasing that down with relative ease with seven balls to spare. 

Skipper K Williamson, T Southee, T Boult, K Jamieson, and D Mitchell are all available for this game. M Santner, B Tickner, M Chapman, D Bracewell, and J Duffy, who had a superb debut taking 4 for 33 in the last game, will be rested for the series.

Pakistan had a disastrous start to the last game as after winning the toss and batting first, they fell to 39 for 5 before a fightback by first-time captain S Khan and F Ashraf saw them reach a below-par but competitive 153/9. 

All the batsmen struggled to cope with the extra bounce of the track and will have to improve if they are to stay alive in the series. The bowling unit, particularly H Rauf and S Afridi, was impressive while defending a low total. They had a combined match figure of 8-0-56-5. 

New Zealand will be favorites here after stopping Pakistan's five-match win streak in T20Is. But you can never count Pakistan out. All in all, an exciting game of cricket awaits us at the serene Seddon Park in Hamilton.

Match Details

• Match: New Zealand vs. Pakistan, 2nd T20
• Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton
• Date & Time: Dec. 20, 2020, at 11.30 AM IST

Probable Playing XI

New Zealand

K Williamson (C), M Guptill, D Conway, G Phillips, T Seifert (WK), J Neesham, S Kuggleijn, K Jamieson, T Southee, I Sodhi, T Boult

Pakistan

M Rizwan (WK), A Shafique, H Ali, M Hafeez, S Khan (C), K Shah, I Wasim, F Ashraf, W Riaz, S Afridi, H Rauf

Weather and Pitch Report

It’s going to be a sunny day, with the temperature expected to be around 20 degrees during the game. Some clouds are expected at night.

The pitch at Seddon Park is usually hard and flat. And adding small boundaries to the equation, the recipe for a high-scoring game is there. Batsmen tend to hit through the line easily and get great value for their shots. The average score in the last five T20Is here has been 188 runs.

The pitch is expected to stay the same throughout the match and it is safer to chase here. Expect the captain winning the toss to decide to bowl first.

Key Players

• K Williamson is not a typical T20 batsman, but he has adjusted his game to suit the needs of this fast-paced format. He had a good run in the home series against India and looked in sublime form in the recent Test series against the West Indies.
• M Guptill is going through a lean patch with the bat in this format. He last scored a fifty in a T20I against England more than a year ago. He has a terrific T20 record and is expected to return to form in style.
• T Boult is expected to take the new ball for New Zealand in this game. He had a successful Indian T20 League, taking 25 wickets at an average of 18.28. Expect him to rattle Pakistan's top order with his pace and accuracy here.
• M Hafeez played a horrible shot on the first ball in the last game and got out. With so much experience and a good year behind him, expect him to be among the runs for Pakistan in this game.
• H Ali has a lot of potential and is one of the future stars of Pakistan batting. Like the other Pakistan batsmen, he struggled with the extra bounce at Eden Park. Hamilton does not have that kind of bounce, so it will suit his style of play. Expect him to score some runs here.
• H Rauf was the pick of Pakistan bowlers in the last game, with figures of 3 for 29 in his four overs. He will relish the responsive tracks of New Zealand and is expected to continue his good bowling form.  

Howzat Dream Team

• Wicketkeeper: G Philipps
• Batsmen: K Williamson, M Guptill, H Ali, K Shah
• All-rounders: S Kuggeleijn, M Hafeez
• Bowlers: S Afridi, H Rauf, T Boult, I Sodhi

• Captain: M Guptill/K Williamson
• Vice Captain: M Hafeez/H Ali

NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can select your own fantasy 11, and play real cricket online matches. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.

Get fantasy cricket tips on your favorite fantasy sports app and select your own team, Howzat!