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Hurting, hoping Kiwis can bounce back, claims captain Fleming
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) -- New Zealand cricket captain Stephen Fleming, admitting he was still hurting from his side's 299-run defeat in the first test, said Wednesday it's not too late to bounce back in the second. New Zealand, beaten by a Pakistan side with four test rookies in the first test, will be looking for a better result when play begins Thursday in the second test. Both team will clash on an even keel on a yet another portable surface with good grass cover. But the Christchurch pitch should have more pace and bounce, unlike the Eden Park surface at Auckland that hosted a cricket match for the first time. Fleming said New Zealand was struggling to get the team balance right and to face the prospect of playing an extra batsman or a strike bowler. New Zealand might cap allrounder Jacob Oram and swing bowler Chris Drum to give the side batting depth and a cutting edge to the attack that looked toothless with the exception of medium paceman Daryl Tuffey. If New Zealand decides to play both of them, swinger bowler Chris Martin and offspinner Grant Bradburn will have to fight it out for one spot between them. "We've got to take 20 wickets and got to be covered for everything," Fleming said. "What we're missing is a key allrounder with strike bowling ability. So you got to make the decision to either carry an extra batter or a strike bowler." The home side has been hard at work since the completion of the first test, with the emphasis on how to combat the lethal reverse swing mastered by the touring side and how to play the offspin of Saqlain Mushtaq. The bowling machines have been hard at work and cranked up to the maximum to simulate the Pakistan threat in the form of the experienced Waqar Younis and rookie fast bowler Mohammad Sami, who claimed an eight-wicket match haul. "It is a skill factor and how well they do it is a mystery. We have tried to replicate it but in a match situation it is 10 yards quicker," Fleming said. Fleming said his side should take heart and try to bounce back like it did in the one-day series when it came from behind to take the series 3-2. "It needs a lot of self-experience and we've been in it a lot before," said Fleming. "We have to play a little bit harder and fight a little bit harder than the last game. "We're faced with a situation of a little bit of tension when we first come out tomorrow and bat first. We're going into the game with the confidence that we've done everything we can." Fleming said it will not be hard to bounce back in the second test. "It's easy because it was such a comprehensive beating. The quicker you get on the horse the better. The longer you got to ponder the more self-doubt it creates." Pakistan is likely to make two changes. Experienced batsman and vice captain Inzamam-ul-Haq will replace Misbah-ul-Haq while the second change could largely depend after a final look at the surface, says skipper Moin Khan. If the pitch looks like it might dry out later in the match and help the spinners, Pakistan might opt to keep legspinner Mushtaq Ahmed. If not he will be swapped for medium paceman Fazl-e-Akbar, who played his last test against Sri Lanka in March 1999. New Zealand (from): Stephen Fleming (captain), Matthew Bell, Mark Richardson, Mathew Sinclair, Nathan Astle, Craig McMillan, Adam Parore, Grant Bradburn, Jacob Oram, Daryl Tuffey, Chris Drum or Chris Martin. Pakistan (from): Moin Khan (captain), Salim Elahi, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Faisal Iqbal, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed or Fazl-e-Akbar, Mohammad Sami. Umpires: Dave Quested (New Zealand) and Daryl Harper (Australia). Television umpire: Tony Hill. Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka).
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