New Zealand will be eyeing nothing less than a series win when they meet India in the 2nd and final Test of the series in Christchurch on Saturday. After taking a 1-0 lead in the 2-match series courtesy their 10-wicket win in Wellington on Monday, Kane Williamson will be hoping his team to repeat their performances against a below-par looking India on a ground which has assumed the status of a fortress for the home side.
Christchurch has 2 cricket grounds – AMI Stadium and the Hagley Oval. While the former used to be the main venue for Test matches in the city for more than 75 years (1930-2006), the Hagley Oval since 2014 has been hosting all the Tests played in Christchurch.
New Zealand have played a total of 6 Tests at the Hagley Oval, winning 4 while losing and drawing one each. A win-loss ratio of 4 makes the ground New Zealand’s most successful venue in the country if you discount the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui where the Kiwis have won the only Test played so far (vs England, 2019).
New Zealand’s only defeat at the Hagley Oval came 4 years ago when they lost to Australia by 7 wickets during ex-captain Brendon McCullum’s farewell series. Since then, Kane Williamson has led New Zealand to 3 wins while securing a draw against England in 2018.
| Match | Start Date | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand v Sri Lanka | 26 Dec 2014 | New Zealand | 8 wickets |
| New Zealand v Australia | 20 Feb 2016 | Australia | 7 wickets |
| New Zealand v Pakistan | 17 Nov 2016 | New Zealand | 8 wickets |
| New Zealand v Bangladesh | 20 Jan 2017 | New Zealand | 9 wickets |
| New Zealand v England | 30 Mar 2018 | Draw | – |
| New Zealand v Sri Lanka | 26 Dec 2018 | New Zealand | 423 runs |
| New Zealand v Bangladesh | 16 Mar 2019 | Cancelled | – |
Incidentally, the last scheduled Test match at the Hagley Oval (March 2019) had to be cancelled owing to a terror attack which killed 49 people and saw the visiting Bangladesh team come very close to being caught up in the mosque shooting near the stadium. Bangladesh soon found themselves on a flight back home with the Christchurch Test being cancelled. The withdrawal marked only the fourth time in cricket history that a match had to be cancelled due to terror attacks.
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