{"id":156290,"date":"2025-08-02T07:47:27","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T07:47:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=156290"},"modified":"2025-08-02T07:48:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T07:48:13","slug":"kiwis-face-zimbabwe-in-zimbabwe-today-by-hemant-brar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/kiwis-face-zimbabwe-in-zimbabwe-today-by-hemant-brar\/","title":{"rendered":"KIWIS Face Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe Today-by Hemant Brar"},"content":{"rendered":"

KIWIS Face Zimbabwe in Zimbabwe Today-by Hemant Brar<\/span><\/h2>\n

Source:<\/span><\/strong>Thuppahis<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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New Zealand, who are playing a Test for the first time this year, are without Latham, Williamson, Phillips and Jamieson<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n

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Big picture: Zimbabwe eye first win against NZ<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
Welcome back to Test cricket,\u00a0New Zealand<\/a>. The last time they played a Test was in December 2024, against England in Hamilton. Given that this two-match series against\u00a0Zimbabwe<\/a>\u00a0doesn\u2019t count towards the World Test Championship, they can take their time to reacquaint themselves with the flow and rhythm of red-ball cricket.<\/span><\/div>\n
On the other hand, Zimbabwe have played seven Tests this year, the\u00a0joint-most<\/a>\u00a0with Australia. But with six losses and just one win, they have the worst record for any team. Moreover, they are yet to beat New Zealand in Test cricket. Of the 17 Tests against New Zealand, they have\u00a0lost 11 and drawn six<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Having said that, this is a slightly weakened New Zealand side. They are without captain\u00a0Tom Latham<\/a>, former captain\u00a0Kane Williamson<\/a>\u00a0and allrounders\u00a0Glenn Phillips<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Kyle Jamieson<\/a>. Williamson is unavailable for the series, having signed a deal with Middlesex, which includes playing for London Spirit in the Hundred; Jamieson is at home, awaiting the birth of his first child; Latham is yet to recover from a shoulder injury he picked up during the Vitality Blast; and Phillips is sidelined with a groin injury he picked up during the MLC.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Related<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
In Latham\u2019s absence,\u00a0Mitchell Santner<\/a>\u00a0will\u00a0lead the side<\/a>. He has plenty of experience captaining New Zealand in ODIs and T20Is, but this will be a first for him in first-class cricket, let alone Test cricket.<\/span><\/div>\n
Recently, an understrength South Africa proved to be too good for Zimbabwe. But for this series, they are bolstered by the returns of allrounder\u00a0Sikandar Raza<\/a>\u00a0and opener\u00a0Ben Curran<\/a>. Raza lends the much-needed balance and experience, and Curran should add the solidity at the top.\u00a0Brendan Taylor<\/a>\u2018s ban has also ended but he has not been named in the squad yet.<\/span><\/div>\n
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Form guide<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
Zimbabwe<\/b>\u00a0LLLLW (last five Tests, most recent first)<\/span>
\nNew Zealand<\/b>\u00a0WLLWW<\/span><\/div>\n
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In the spotlight: Williams and Henry<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n
Sean Williams<\/a>\u00a0has been easily the best Zimbabwe batter this year. In seven Tests, he has scored\u00a0577 at an average of 52.45<\/a>\u00a0and a strike rate of 76.83. Only Shubman Gill (755) and Rishabh Pant (580) have scored more Test runs than him in 2025. One thing he would like to improve, though, is his conversion rate. Of his five 50-plus scores this year, he converted only one into a hundred.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\"elanka\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n