![NZ vs WI 2nd Test preview [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1765261547472_nz_vs_wi.jpg?type=hq)
NZ vs WI 2nd Test preview [Source: AFP]
New Zealand (NZ) will host the visiting West Indies (WI) team in the second Test of their three-match series between December 10 and December 14. After a fighting draw in Christchurch, the match will be hosted by the Basin Reserve in Wellington and the action will commence from 3:30 AM IST on each match day.
New Zealand
After crushing Zimbabwe by a 2-0 margin in Bulawayo back in August this year, the New Zealand team failed to defeat West Indies in the series-opening first Test at Christchurch. The hosts had a 64-run first innings advantage, before centuries from Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra helped them set a record target of 531. New Zealand bowlers, however, remained ineffective as they managed to pick just six West Indies wickets throughout nearly two days of play.
West Indies
The West Indies team started off their 2025-27 WTC cycle by coping a 0-3 drubbing at home at the hands of Australia. West Indies also lost its two-match Test series in India a couple of months ago by a 0-2 margin. Up against a trail of soul-crushing defeats, West Indies batters Shai Hope, Justin Greaves and fast bowler Kemar Roach conjured a courageous draw in Christchurch last week to set up an exciting series against the 2021 WTC champions.
NZ vs WI head-to-head overview
New Zealand and West Indies have crossed paths 50 times in Tests since their first meeting back in 1952. At the moment, the New Zealand team holds a superior head-to-head record with 17 wins, as opposed to the 13 wins recorded by West Indies. Their remaining 20 Tests have resulted in draws.
| Matches | New Zealand won | West Indies won | Draws |
| 50 | 17 | 13 | 20 |
Basin Reserve in Wellington pitch report
The surface at the Basin Reserve in Wellington usually contains a decent covering of grass, making it even indistinguishable from the outfield on occasions. Judging by the venue’s overall record, one can expect the pitch curator to churn out another green top in the upcoming second New Zealand vs West Indies Test.
The surface, however, will be expected to become easier for batting as the bounce will become more trustworthy for the batters to play their strokes freely.
The teams batting first have won four of the last five Tests played at the Basin Reserve, prompting the captain to opt to bat first upon winning the toss. The average first innings total here ranges around the 315-run mark.
New Zealand and West Indies probable playing XI
New Zealand
Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell, Michael Rae, Zak Foulkes, Blair Tickner and Jacob Duffy
West Indies
Tagenarine Chanderpaul, John Campbell, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope, Roston Chase (c), Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach (wk), Kemar Roach, Johann Layne, Jayden Seales and Ojay Shields
Top run scorers in NZ vs WI Tests
We are considering only the players from the current squad.
Kane Williamson – 1,031 runs
Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is the only active Test player from either side to have aggregated over 1,000 runs, having minted 1,031 runs against the West Indies in just 19 innings at a prolific average of 57.27. The legendary New Zealand batter has also plundered three centuries and five fifties in the process.
Tom Latham – 651 runs
New Zealand skipper Tom Latham has scored 651 runs across eight Test appearances against the West Indies since his format debut in 2014. With an average of 50.07, the cricketer has listed four half-centuries and one huge hundred, thus referring to the epic 145 he charted at Christchurch last week.
Shai Hope – 278 runs
Attacking West Indies batter Shai Hope has hauled 278 runs against New Zealand in just six Test innings spanning three matches at an average of 46.33. The cricketer registered scores of 56 and 140 at Christchurch in this month’s series-opener alone, thus compounding 196 runs in a single Test.
Top wicket-takers in NZ vs WI Tests
We are considering only the players from the current squad.
Kemar Roach – 43 wickets
West Indies pace warhorse Kemar Roach has picked up 43 New Zealand wickets in just nine Tests at an impressive bowling average of 22.72, i.e., significantly better than his career bowling average of 26.98. At the moment, the 37-year-old is the leading wicket-taker in New Zealand vs West Indies Tests.
Jacob Duffy – 8 wickets
New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy played his first-ever Test against West Indies earlier this month in Christchurch. The speedster picked up eight wickets in the match, including career-best figures of 5-34 in the first innings on Day 2.
Roston Chase – 7 wickets
West Indies captain and wily off-spinner Roston Chase has grabbed seven Test wickets against New Zealand in seven innings. Chase, however, managed to pick up just a solitary wicket across both innings of the series-opening Christchurch Test.
NZ vs WI key stats
New Zealand key records
- Rachin Ravindra has scored the highest number of Test runs among all New Zealand batters off late, with 753 runs in his last 10 matches at an average of 47.06.
- Zakary Foulkes, with just two Test caps, has already picked up 12 wickets at an exceptional bowling average of 15.58.
- Rachin Ravindra has been averaging a prolific 115.33 after playing three Test matches over the past 12 months, marking the best average among all batters with more than 300 runs to their names this year.
- New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy has taken the most wickets in the ongoing three-match Test series, having plucked eight scalps in the series-opener at an average of 19.50.
- The New Zealand team has won 23 Test matches at the Basic Reserve in Wellington since their first Test here back in 1930.
West Indies key records
- All-rounder Justin Greaves has scored 563 runs in his last 10 Tests to emerge as the leading run-maker for the West Indies team in recent matches. He plundered an epic 202* in Christchurch in a monumental match-saving effort.
- Among all West Indies bowlers, paceman Jayden Seales has picked up the most wickets in his last nine matches, scalping 30 wickets, including three in the first Test of the series.
- Shai Hope has been averaging nearly 40 with the bat this year, with 475 runs to his name in 12 innings spanning six Tests for the West Indies team.
- West Indies pacer Kemar Roach has dismissed New Zealand opener and captain Tom Latham six times in Test cricket, and averages an impressive 17 against him.
Records that can be broken in NZ vs WI 2nd Test
- Shai Hope needs just 25 more runs to complete 500 Test runs in the year 2025.
- Kemar Roach needs seven more wickets to complete 50 Test wickets against New Zealand.
- Kemar Roach also needs only nine more wickets to bring up 300 Test wickets to become only the fourth West Indies bowler in history to do so.
- Roston Chase needs just 52 more runs to complete 2,500 runs in his Test career.
- Jayden Seales and Roston Chase both need eight more wickets each to complete 100 Test wickets.
