New Zealand vs India Match Prediction: 2nd T20I Odds & Tips

India kicked off their tour of New Zealand with a bang, chasing down the required 225 runs with just two balls to spare. Who comes out on top for Game 2? We review everything you should know for this clash!

After Game 1 went the way of the visitors, the Black Caps will be looking to get back to winning ways again in Christchurch. India possess explosive batting power right down the order, so New Zealand will have to work hard to restrict them. The BettingTop10 team preview everything you should know about this clash right here!

Odds thanks to Betista (accurate at time of publication).

New Zealand

After a narrow loss, New Zealand will need to bounce back quickly to avoid going down 0-2 in this T20I series. Their first innings total of 225 was impressive, but India got off to a very fast start, and it looked like the Kiwis had trouble containing them.

If the Black Caps won this game, Glenn Phillips probably would have been named Man of the Match after smashing 82 off 40 balls and remaining unbeaten. It doesn’t look like the batters are the problem; it’s the bowlers that need to find a way to suppress the attacking power of the Indian batsmen.

The home side should deploy a similar tactic for this clash, but focus more on their middle and death overs. Look for Michael Bracewell to play a key role with the ball for this one. He needs to use his spin to disrupt the scoring rhythm of India.

India

It’s not like India needs it, but they’ll come into this game with all the confidence after staying strong and getting an important win in Game 1. They got off to a fast start but were pinned back slightly by the Kiwi bowlers in the middle overs. Their fast start was able to see them over the line, just.

The Man of the Match and opener, Sanju Samson, blasted 67 runs off 33 balls. The visitors will be looking for Samson to get them off to a similar start in Game 2, and help set the tone for another explosive innings with the bat.

India has been all about power and aggression as of late. When batting second, they don’t care what the other team scores; they know they are good enough to chase down anything. If the batters come out with a similar outlook, India will be hard to contain once again.

In the last five T20Is between New Zealand and India, it’s India that has a strong record, winning four of the last five dating back to January this year. This includes a 96 demolition of New Zealand at the hands of India in the T20 World Cup Final! In New Zealand’s last five T20Is, they have a record of 1-3-1, and India have a record of 2-2-1.

The most vital trends that you should be aware of leading into this match: 

• Sanju Samson comes into this one in some great form after receiving Man of the Match honours last time out, scoring 67 runs from just 33 balls.
• India made history last time out, recording their highest successful run chase in T20Is.
• The 225 New Zealand scored in the first innings was their highest T20I total against India at home.

I think we can expect a rinse and repeat in terms of the number of runs scored in this game, which is played at the same ground as Game 1. Both teams have strong attacking power, and India’s bowlers conceded at least 10 runs in every over! 

A high-scoring game is on the cards, so take your pick of cricket betting markets related to that. I’ve gone with the total fours market, with the overs sitting at 32.5. In Game 1, there were 37 fours scored, and if India bats first, I think this only improves the chances for this bet.

Take over 32.5 total fours scored @ $1.83.

Game 2 is important for the Black Caps who don’t want to find themselves in a 0-2 hole in this series. The first game ended up being close, and while I think this one is the flip of a coin in terms of winner, all signs point towards a lot of runs being scored. If you’re placing a bet or two for this clash, make sure you check out the available betting bonuses first, so you can get more bang for your buck!