Going into the first test match between Zimbabwe and New Zealand, the two sides are currently on very opposite spectrums against each other after their recent T-20I series ended. As the Black Caps won that whole tournament, they are now going to play a test series after almost eight months, during which their side last lost 2-1 to England.
Having no Tim Southee due to him retiring from all formats a while back, this group still has got veteran experience like Tom Latham back after not being selected for the recent Tri-Series. Seeing that this match doesn’t have implications on the World Test Championship standings, it will be a great practice match for the new leadership group under Latham before their really intense test matches start.
The former champions of the 2021 WTC will look to assert dominance over their opponents in Zimbabwe once again. With this Chevrons’ unit having played three test matches quite recently, they lost all of them in quite massive fashion. Going up against England and South Africa in the recent two series, it’s great that they’re able to play some top nations, so their experience increases later on down the line to make each match more competitive.
As Zimbabwe have over 10 test matches planned this year itself, playing against a champion side like New Zealand will show them what it takes to be a #1 test side. Hoping for some positivity after their Tri-Series performance ended in a massive collapse, captain Craig Ervine will hope to motivate this group and potentially pull off an upset.
Zimbabwe: Pacers Will Create A Lot Of Pressure In This Match
A massive aspect of this Zimbabwe side is their pace attack and how they remain the major strength for this unit. Their biggest name remains Blessing Muzarabani as his Kagiso Rabada-type action allows this pacer to hit a similar line and length on every single ball. Known for the bounce he creates due to his length and wingspan, this is someone whose picked up 57 test wickets in 15 matches and has also picked up three 5-wicket hauls. Someone who’s gotten as many as 7 players out in a single innings, he will continue being the leader of the group and keep building his name as an international superstar.
The other big name in this bowling group is Tanaka Chivanga, as he has taken 8 wickets during 3 recent innings against South Africa and shows consistency despite being expensive at times.
Although his economy may not be the greatest, there are spells in each test match where he becomes nearly unplayable due to his amazing pace and angle at stumps. Similar to Muzarabani, another player in Victor Nyauchi has a very similar action to his and has started becoming a major wicket-taker as well. As someone who does bowl a little slower compared to Zimbabwe’s main fast bowler, Nyauchi has still provided his side with a career total of 23 wickets in 12 innings and also a career best innings of getting 5 people out for just 56 runs allowed.
With these three pieces rounding out the pace attack, it will also make the jobs of Zimbabwe’s two best spinners, Sikandar Raza, 39 wickets in just 13 matches, and Vincent Masekesa, easier.
New Zealand: This Batting Unit Will Be Fully Loaded
On the other side, New Zealand will continue having one of the strongest batting units in this series. With Kane Williamson still out of the order after taking rest due to his elbow injury, Nathan Smith could potentially replace him. A player who has mostly played in the domestic circuit for New Zealand and picked up 2,078 runs in 92 innings during first-class matches, the right-handed batter will have some huge holes to fill as he takes over the best-ever test player from this country. Being someone with an ability to bowl as well, his first four innings in test matches ended with a 42-run knock against England last year. Another batsman that will be back in this group’s batting side is Tom Latham, who’s trying to crack another milestone by going over 6,000 runs.
As he’s been someone who could come in and strike at any position for this group, his 31 half-centuries plus 38.38 average shows how patient he is as this side’s best left-handed batsman. Daryl Mitchell will continue being a massive piece in the middle order as he is known for his strokes and composure, while trying to build on his 2,000+ runs produced during 52 innings.
Alongside Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra is going back to one of his strongest formats after showing growth in T20I and now can have a chance of increasing that 37.75 average in tests. With Tom Blundell himself slowly starting to become a strength in this batting attack, many fans will be quite excited for Will Young, as he was able to cross 1,000 test runs scored in just 20 matches. To round it out, Henry Nicholls will try being a threat once again after already smashing nine centuries in this format and playing some clinical innings that included tons of classy shots.
Zimbabwe: The Order Tries Re-Inventing Themselves Once Again
For Zimbabwe, the re-emergence of Ben Curran could prove very vital because they finally have someone who could be a consistent opener alongside Brian Bennett. Looking at Curran specifically, he’s hit at a near 30 average in his 12 innings and always seems to play in a pretty aggressive style.
Being Zimbabwe’s batsman who can take on some of the opposing top bowlers, Ben Curran could be very crucial as a left-handed option with the rising batsmen in Brian Bennett having already hit two centuries in this format. The more exciting part about this unit is that Sikandar Raza will once again make his return after missing out on the South Africa test series and looks to play powerful shots while also holding his wicket for a while.
Seeing that Raza has averaged over 35 runs per innings throughout his test career, his highest score of 127 should give Zimbabwe hope that he can go pretty big once again. Around when he comes in, this Chevrons unit will also have the experience from Craig Ervine, who continues to be a staple one or two-down batter.
Although he wasn’t able to score a half-century in both test matches against South Africa, Ervine still remained the most consistent batsman and has accumulated four centuries in just 56 innings. With him being one major factor, the other guy who stands out is Sean Williams, as he leads Zimbabwe in test centuries currently with six, and also just recently had a 137-run performance versus South Africa. If Nick Welch comes down the order with aggression, it could make this Zimbabwe unit that much more dangerous during this match.
New Zealand: Bowling Attack Will Be Quite Interesting
On New Zealand’s bowling side, there is potential that both Matt Henry and Michael Bracewell could miss this match, which would make it very interesting to see who replaces them. As Mitchell Santner will continue being the main left-handed spinner, he’s someone who’s picked up 74 wickets in his test career and has had a highlight 10-wicket haul before. Being a bowler who keeps his economy under three in this format, the Black Caps always rely on him to bowl their most overs.
The other key piece is off-spinner Ajaz Patel, whose managed to get 10+ wickets twice in his career and has a surprise factor to fool batsmen whenever he delivers balls. For the pace attack where the previously mentioned Matt Henry plus Michael Bracewell will potentially miss, alongside Tim Southee’s retirement, it’s very likely that both Matthew Fisher and rising New Zealand star Jacob Duffy, 318 first-class wickets, make their debuts as extreme quickies.
Previous Matches
Test Matches Played: 17
New Zealand Won: 11
Drawn: 6
Zimbabwe Won: 0
Last 5: New Zealand has won the last 5 test matches in a row
Predictions
Zim Bat 1st: Lose by 8 wickets and score 200-250 in both innings
NZ Bat 1st: Win by 100+ runs and score 400+ in both innings
Zim Bat 2nd: Lose by 70 to 80 runs and trail by 50+ after 1st innings
NZ Bat 2nd: Win by 90-110 runs and lead by over 100 after 1st innings
Final Prediction: New Zealand will win by 105+ runs if batting first and 8 wickets if bowling first
Key Players
Zimbabwe
Blessing Muzarabani: Great pace-bowler who has been a consistent wicket-taker and is internationally known
Tanaka Chivanga: Hits the same line and length despite not having much of a whip action, plus gets people out with ease
Brian Bennett: New opener that can produce up-top and create pressure for opposing bowlers early
Sean Williams: Best current batter on Zimbabwe who should produce well in the middle
New Zealand
Ajaz Patel: Lefty-spinner who has game-changing abilities and plays tricks on batsmen
Mitchell Santner: Great leader who will continue implementing his tactics while having a surprise element in his spin bowling
Tom Latham: Captain and a batsman who can strike with fierce force
Will Young: Fantastic opener who knows how to attack with intent and score runs at a rapid pace
Also Read: ZIM vs SA : Wiaan Mulder Reflects On His Unbeaten 367 After Conversation With Brian Lara