New Zealand Playing 11 vs England- 2nd Test, England tour of New Zealand 2024

New Zealand faces a must-win situation in the second Test against England at Wellington, starting Friday, following their eight-wicket defeat in Christchurch.

The hosts struggled in both innings of the first Test at Christchurch, scoring 348 and 254, though Kane Williamson's 93 was a solid contribution in the first innings and Daryl Mitchell's 84 was a fighting performance in the second.

The bowling attack of the Black Caps failed to contain England's aggressive batting approach.

The focus will be on senior players like Williamson and Mitchell to deliver bigger scores, while Tom Latham’s leadership also will be crucial to bounce back.

Also read: ICC brutally punishes New Zealand and England; shuts WTC final hopes

New Zealand squad

Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Tim Southee, Williamson, Will Young.

New Zealand Playing 11 vs England- 2nd Test, England tour of New Zealand 2024

Openers: Devon Conway, Tom Latham

Devon Conway and Captain Tom Latham weren’t at the best in the previous match as they failed to negate the new ball and didn’t trouble the scorers either. They will have to play a key role if New Zealand has to bounce back.

Conway averages 37 against England and has scored 607 runs in 8 matches. Expect him to provide a steady start at the top and capitalize on any loose deliveries. Latham has scored 777 runs against England.

Middle-order batsmen and allrounders: Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tom Blundell, Mitchell Santner

Kane Williamson returned to the test matches and didn’t look as if he was out for a while. Kiwi’s no 3 scored fifty in both innings and will look to replicate his performance.

Rachin Ravindra would not be happy with his outing in the last match as the no 4 threw his wickets after getting starts and will look to ignite his form which he showed in India.

Daryl Mitchell, fresh off a gritty 84, remains a game-changer in the middle order. His ability to counterattack and dominate in challenging conditions will be crucial on a bowler-friendly pitch.

Glenn Phillips his quickfire runs and handy off-spin will be a key player to stop the flow of runs.

Tom Blundell will continue to hone his wicketkeeping. Mitchell Santner is likely to replace Nathan Smith in the side for 2nd test and will come in handy with left-arm spin in Wellington.

Bowlers: Tim Southee, Will O'Rourke, Matt Henry

Matt Henry and Tim Southee will lead New Zealand's fast-bowling efforts in the 2nd test. Both will look to complement each other and with their ability to extract seam movement and apply relentless pressure, they can be a real handful in Wellington.

Will O'Rourke is this young pacer who strikes at good pace and bounce, and he will look to surprise England's batters on a lively Wellington track