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Neil Wagner Throws An Open Challenge To The Indian Batsmen
By CricShots - Feb 26, 2020 4:27 pm
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New Zealand fast bowler, Neil Wagner is looking forward to his battle with the Indian skipper, Virat Kohli in the second Test in Christchurch after missing out the first Test in Wellington as he witnessed the birth of his first child. Talking about his expectations from the second Test, where his team will have the opportunity to bag the two-match series, he will be targetting the Indian skipper. 

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Neil Wagner

As per the quotes in stuff.co.nz., Wagner said, “Every team I play against, I always try and target and go for their best players, because you know what a big stride it makes within a team when you get their best players out. Drying him [Kohli] up, making sure they don’t score and putting a lot of pressure on him from both ends [is imperative].”

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Wagner was the wrecker in chief when New Zealand defeated India in a Test match at Auckland’s Eden Park in 2014. It was the southpaw pacer’s first Test against India and he managed to return with brilliant figures of 8/126 in the match. In that game, he had dismissed MS Dhoni out twice, apart from removing Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan as well. That performance remains close to his heart to date.

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New Zealand team

Recalling the game, Wagner said, “I think it was a stage where I was still trying to find my feet in the team and trying to find a way of getting a role and doing my role in the team. The way I bowl at the moment, that’s where it started. Before that, I was going through the phase where you have quite a few ups and downs and try to find your feet.”

With India troubled in the first Test by short balls bowled from around the wicket, Wagner said that New Zealand will be carrying out a barrage of bouncers during the second match starting on Saturday. He also believes that the Indian team will come out all guns blazing in the second Test but he expects the home side to be relentless in its endeavor to seal the series win.

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Wagner further explained, “Hopefully we can keep the squeeze on and bowl the way the boys bowled in Wellington and if we can keep piling the pressure, we will make the job a lot easier for ourselves.”