After convincingly winning the first Test match at Jamaica, New Zealand are set to face West Indies in the second Test match at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad.
The Black Caps delivered a near-perfect performance at the Sabina Park and remained on top in the entire Test match. Their young spinners Mark Craig and Ish Sodhi knotted the hosts and picked wickets at crucial junctures to help the Black Caps win the contest in four days.
Kane Williamson and James Neesham scored centuries, while opener Tom Latham scored fifties in both innings. However, Peter Fulton's form is a bit of concern for the Kiwis, but as the middle order churning out runs consistently, the visitors are fancying their chances in the second encounter.
The Black Caps have not won a Test series away from home since 2002 against a team in the top-eight and this is their best chance to snatch a series win. New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson said the team is focusing on carrying the good form in the second test.
"Adapting to the conditions was a focus and something we did very well in the first Test, something we want to continue doing well in this series," Williamson said.
Windies skipper Denesh Ramdin said the bowlers are doing a good job and it is up to the batsmen now to spend time at the crease and step up their game. Ramdin also stressed that youngsters need to lift their game and make every opportunity count.
"We are one down in the series," Ramdin said. "We know how important it is for our batsmen to put the runs on the board and we keep stressing that. We haven't been doing that. Our bowlers have been doing a fairly good job so if they can continue to do that our batters can have some confidence going into this match."
"The younger players will have to step up, Darren Bravo, Kirk Edwards, young Kraigg Brathwaite, those are the ones for the future and hopefully they can take this opportunity to stamp their authority and get some runs this game," he added.
Expected lineups: West Indies: Chris Gayle, Kraigg Brathwaite, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Leon Johnson, Denesh Ramdin (capt & wk), Sulieman Benn, Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach, Shane Shillingford
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Hamish Rutherford, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum (capt), Jimmy Neesham, BJ Watling (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Mark Craig, Trent Boult
Where to Watch Live
The 2nd Test is scheduled for a 10:00 am local (7:30 pm IST, 2:00 pm GMT) start with live coverage on Ten Cricket and Ten HD in India. The match can also be watched via live streaming online in India HERE. Catch the action live on TV on Sky Sports 2 in New Zealand, while viewers can also live stream the action HERE. Viewers in the US can watch the game on Willow TV while the action can also be live streamed HERE. Watch the match in Caribbean on Sports Max, while South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa viewers can view the match on SuperSport and live online HERE.
