England desperate for reversal in fortunes

Overview

New Zealand v England
Hagley Oval, Christchurch
2nd Test
30 March to 3 April, 11:00 local (22:00 GMT -1d)

England have spent nearly five months on the road, and the effects of a long, arduous schedule are showing up. They have little option but to brush them aside, though, given they have lost 10 of their last 12 overseas Tests. Now, another series is on the line.

New Zealand won the first, day-night Test by an innings and 49 runs. England will now have to make sure there will be no repeat of their first-innings debacle in Auckland, when they were shot out for 58 in just 20.4 overs.

None of the England batsmen could handle the swinging ball, although there were markedly improved performances in the second innings, with Mark Stoneman, Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes all notching up half-centuries. The damage had already been done, though.

Even the bowlers looked insipid. James Anderson and Stuart Broad did share six wickets in the one innings they bowled, but they were unable to extract the same amount of movement that their New Zealand counterparts could, as the hosts declared their innings closed at 427/8, with centuries from Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls.

England therefore decided to shake things up. Jack Leach, James Vince and Mark Wood are in contention for a place in the XI, while Woakes and Moeen Ali sit out. During England's 4-0 loss in the Ashes 2017-18, Moeen returned all of five wickets and aggregated just 179 runs at 19.88. He struggled in Auckland as well, going wicket-less and scoring 0 and 28.

The fitness of Ben Stokes is also a cause for worry. The all-rounder was unable to bowl in the first Test, having hurt his back during the one-day international series earlier, and though his back held up fine during the four-and-a-half hour vigil in the second innings, when he scored 66 in 188 deliveries, there will be further checks ahead of the second Test.

All of which makes it a rare chance for New Zealand to seal a series victory over England. Their last series win against England on home soil came nearly 34 years ago. After their morale-boosting win in Auckland, they will look to end a long home series with a bang.

Key to that will be continuing from where they left off. Trent Boult and Tim Southee were sublime in both innings, while Neil Wagner, the workhorse that he is, bowled 32 overs in the second dig picking up three crucial wickets. On the batting front as well, Williamson stood out as he struck a commanding 102 – it was his 18th Test century, the most ever by a New Zealand batsman – while Nicholls batted patiently to rack up an unbeaten 145.

The hosts were dealt a blow, though, with Todd Astle, the leg-spinner, sidelined by a side strain. Ish Sodhi has been called up as replacement and is confirmed to play his first Test since 2016.

Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, issued a rallying cry ahead of the second Test. “This is a huge opportunity ... you don't go in thinking about drawing it," he said. “It's been a big series, we've been planning for the last six months and need to make sure we use the next few days wisely.”

Key players

Trent Boult (New Zealand): The leading wicket-taker at Hagley Oval with 22 scalps, Boult has been in supreme form over the past few seasons, getting the ball to move both ways at pace. He has dismissed Alistair Cook on seven occasions in Tests and will be keen on adding to the 41 scalps that he has against England.

Joe Root (England): After a failure in the first innings, the England captain came back well with a patient 131-ball 51 in the second. His form in the longest format has been patchy with his last Test century coming in August 2017. Root desperately needs a three-figure score.

Conditions
This will be the fifth Test at the Hagley Oval. New Zealand have won three of the four Tests here, with the only loss coming against Australia in 2016. The pitch is known to offer bounce, although the lateral movement will be much less than what the teams got in Auckland.

Squad

New Zealand: Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, BJ Watling (wk), Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Martin Guptill

England: Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (c), Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, Jimmy Anderson, Liam Livingstone, Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Ben Foakes