Home » Cricket » India hope to snare Kiwis in Pune spin trap
With India desperate for a series-levelling victory, the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune is set to dish out a spin-friendly pitch for the second Test against New Zealand, starting on Thursday.
New Zealand shocked India by eight wickets in the rain-hit first Test in Bengaluru after the hosts collapsed for 46 in their first innings.
The hosts could resort to home advantage by preparing a slow-turning pitch for the second Test of the three-match series.
The black soil pitch in Pune will have lower bounce as compared to Bengaluru and will be flatter and slower, said a report in ESPNCricinfo.
Wary of New Zealand's pace battery after
However, they suffered a 333-run thrashing at the hands of Australia on a spin-friendly pitch in 2017, with left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe taking six wickets in both innings as India managed just 105 and 107 in the two innings.
With New Zealand struggling recently in spin-friendly pitches during the Test series in Sri Lanka, India will be hoping the turning track in Pune can aid their comeback in the series.
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