Photo by Michal Klajban (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons

India lead 1-0 and Hagley Oval stays flat: what to expect in the second T20I

India lead the five-match T20I series 1-0 after a four-wicket win in Christchurch on Thursday, and the second match is at the same ground, Hagley Oval, on Saturday at 12:30 pm IST.

The first game was a high-scoring one: New Zealand made 225 for 4, with Glenn Phillips unbeaten on 82 from 40 balls, and India chased it down with two balls to spare. Previews expect more of the same. One describes the outfield as quick and the surface as true, with the bigger boundaries the only brake on the scoring.

India are expected to keep the side that won the opener, though the team had not been confirmed at the time of writing. Predicted XIs centre on the batting that did the damage in game one: Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who made 67 from 33 balls, Shreyas Iyer as captain, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0 for 49) and Axar (1 for 51) were expensive in game one, and Arshdeep Singh and Mayank Yadav are expected to share the bowling with them.

New Zealand's batting needs little change. Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Daryl Mitchell, Bevon Jacobs and Phillips are expected to stay, with Mitchell Santner as captain and Matt Henry or Jacob Duffy sharing the new ball with Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne.

The head-to-head favours the hosts: in 32 T20Is New Zealand have won 17, India 12, with three no-results. The most recent of those matches was India's win on Thursday.

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