Cricket Test Series Betting - New Zealand vs. Pakistan

Cricket Odds:

New Zealand vs. Pakistan
Monday, November 23, 4.30pm
New Zealand +175
Draw +180
Pakistan +180

The best part about playing Test cricket for either New Zealand or Pakistan is that you would have plenty of opportunities to work on your golf game.

After all, they very rarely ever use up the full five days allotted to a Test match.

So what can you expect when these two teams clash? A healthy dose of competition actually, which is how the bookmakers have seen it with the cricket odds and lines showing New Zealand (+175) as slight favourites to beat Pakistan (+180).

This is despite a horrendous record against the sub-continent’s master blasters, which features just six wins in 45 matches with 21 losses and 18 draws.

The last time they met, way back around this same time in 2003, New Zealand was a far more competitive Test nation evidenced by the fact they piled on 563 against Pakistan at Westpac Park in Hamilton.

The huge total was due mostly to captain Stephen Fleming’s 192 but also a much younger Daniel Vettori chipped in with a handy 137 not out in an innings that signalled the coming of arguably the country’s best player ever.

Not surprising that match ended a draw the second test several days later however showed the utter unpredictability of the Kiwis when, after posting 366 in the first innings then rolling Pakistan, which featured Yousuf Youhana, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Abdul Razzaq, for 196 they then capitulated for 103 in the second innings, opening the door for Pakistan who piled on the runs to steal an unlikely victory.

Since then, the two teams have undergone massive personnel changes in fact the Kiwis will have just two players from that last test match, Vettori and Daryl Tuffey while Pakistan have all new faces.

And while it is hard to avoid the fact that New Zealand have won just two out of their last 22 Tests against top teams they deserve their favourites tag because they appear to be coming out of a funk.

A good showing at the Champions Trophy in South Africa, an equally impressive tour of the United Arab Emirates against Pakistan, which they won 2-1, all point to a team on the rise.

They have the bowlers to destroy most teams – Shane Bond is back at his best, Daryl Tuffey is a proven match winner and Chris Martin is a master on home soil. Throw in Vettori and it’s a formidable attack.

Without runs on the board, the quicks will struggle.

It’s just their batsmen who need to perform – Tim McIntosh in just his eighth Test at opener will want to recreate the glory of his maiden century against the West Indies in just his second Test match while Martin Guptill will shoulder a similar load of responsibility as his partner after just five Tests.

Ross Taylor will be the key to the middle order and one batsman Pakistan will have spent a lot of time studying to discover his weaknesses.

If Taylor gets set, it will be a long Test match for Pakistan but they can call on quicks Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer while Danish Kaneria should get the nod ahead of Saeed Ajmal following his 5/62 against Sri Lanka in his country’s last Test match in July.

Young opening batsman Khurram Manzoor will be under pressure to perform, his five appearances in national colours yielding just 239 at an average of 34.14.

The biggest issue could be the weather as Dunedin is freezing cold this time of year with plenty of rain also on the cards.