New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st Test live stream, pitch and weather report, match preview

New Zealand and Pakistan are slated to clash in the first Test of the two-match series on Saturday, December 26, at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. The NZ vs PAK live streaming will commence at 3:30 AM (IST). Ahead of the contest, here's a look at the NZ vs PAK pitch report, weather report, New Zealand vs Pakistan squads NZ vs PAK live stream information and details of NZ vs PAK live scores. 

New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st Test preview

After their entertaining three-match T20I series, the two sides will battle it out in the longer format of the game. New Zealand have the momentum on their side and they completely outplayed the visitors in the first two T20I fixtures to clinch the series. Pakistan did manage to score a consolation win in the final match of the series, but their batting line-up is no longer looking the same without their star batsman and captain, Babar Azam.

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The Pakistan team will miss several prominent names apart from Babar Azam, as Imam-ul-Haq and Shadab Khan are also out with an injury. New Zealand were ruthless against West Indies earlier this month and outplayed their opposition in both the Test matches. They will be eying to replicate the same success against Pakistan as well. A clean sweep here will take them closer to the final of the ICC Test Championship. 

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New Zealand vs Pakistan squads for 1st Test 

NZ: Kane Williamson (c), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Will Young

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Pak: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Sohail, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan and Yasir Shah.

New Zealand vs Pakistan 1st Test: Weather forecast 

According to AccuWeather, a significant cloud cover is expected during the opening day of the Boxing Day Test. However, there are no chances of rain interrupting the contest between bat and ball on Day 1. On the second day, showers are expected during the afternoon session. Rain is likely to stay away after Day 2. 

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NZ vs PAK pitch report

The venue has hosted only a single Test match in the past. However, the limited-overs matches at the ground suggest that the pitch is a balanced one that will assist both batsmen and the bowlers. The faster bowlers will aim to exploit the cloudy conditions initially with the new ball. The captain winning the toss could be inclined to bat first and post an imposing total upfront. 

NZ vs PAK live streaming: NZ vs PAK live in India

The NZ vs PAK 2020 series is not a televised event in the country. However, fans can catch NZ vs PAK live in India on the FanCode app. The NZ vs PAK live stream will also be made available on the sports aggregator platform from 3:30 AM (IST) on Saturday. For NZ vs PAK live scores, one can visit the social media pages of the two cricket boards.

Image source: AP