New Zealand v South Africa, 2nd ODI: Preview

After suffering a crushing defeat in the opening game, hosts New Zealand will be looking to bounce back strongly and restore their pride. South Africa will be hoping for nothing less than continuing their good form. The series acts as a build-up to the World Cup and thus holds importance for players from both sides.

New Zealand:

Luke Ronchi's 99 was the highlight of the first game. His good form came as a huge morale-boost after the top order collapsed. New Zealand will need their big guns to fire and the batting department will definitely have to up their game.

Tim Southee's return from injury adds some teeth to the attack. The bowling strength and variety has been one of the biggest assets for the Kiwis in the past couple of years. If everyone is in form then Boult, Southee, Vettori and Nathan McCullum will prove to be more than a handful for any batting line up in the world. The hosts will want their key performers to gain some confidence by doing well against a strong South African unit.

South Africa:

The Proteas will go into the World Cup as one of the favourites and it is no surprise that they put up a strong show in the first ODI. The batting unit has a perfect blend of youth and experience while the bowling department consists of some of the finest bowlers of the generation. South Africa will be using the series to test out the best combination ahead of the big tournament. The likes of Vernon Philander and Rilee Rossouw will be keen to seal a spot for themselves in the final eleven despite the stiff competition.

Already 1-0 up in the series, South Africa will be looking forward to clinch the series as quickly as possible. The added incentive would be that South Africa have a chance to regain their No. 1 ranking in ODIs if they manage a clean sweep against New Zealand.

Quotes

Being number one would be great but at the moment we are sticking to a good plan of winning as many as we can and taking each match with the importance that it has - Hashim Amla