Cricket: Ronchi likely to get test honours

Jimmy Neesham.

Luke Ronchi's compelling form in the one-day team looks set to propel him into the test team to replace Jimmy Neesham for next week's third test in Sharjah.

The top four batsmen and two spinners won't change, BJ Watling is set as wicketkeeper despite Ronchi's skill set, and Trent Boult and Tim Southee form one of the world's best new-ball partnerships with the prospect of them resting for the Pakistan one-day internationals afterwards.

Neesham shouldn't be offended, given he'll have a valuable role to play as an all-rounder during the World Cup. A rest in the final Pakistan test might pay dividends in the ODIs when another chance to open could loom.

The 24-year-old is coming off two tests when he was dismissed by spinners on three out of four occasions for 39 runs at 9.75. He charged Mohammad Hafeez and missed, chipped Yasir Shah to mid-wicket, and was bowled through the gate out of the footmarks by Zulfiqar Babar.

In an ideal world, Neesham would be persevered with.

He seized his opportunity making 137 not out, the highest score by a No 8 on test debut against India at Wellington, and followed with 107 in the West Indies at Kingston. But he's not offering enough with the ball on low bouncing surfaces in the UAE to be guaranteed a third-test place against Pakistan in Sharjah. He's taken one for 63 (when Younis Khan slapped a short and wide delivery to cover) from 29 overs.

If Neesham's candid interviews are any gauge, it won't take him long to recover. He answers questions directly and thoughtfully.

Presumably this same approach applies when it comes to scrutinising his own game. He acknowledged the difficulties left-handers face, and was forthright enough to suggest a 220-230 total would be competitive in the match. He was right.

Judging his Twitter account, there's also a bit of cheek. Not every player is prepared to give the batting coach (Craig McMillan) a lash in taste. "I can take the questionable music blaring through my hotel wall @cmacca10, but if you start singing again I'm calling the police," he wrote.

Fellow all-rounder Corey Anderson has also struggled during this series, but showed better form in the first test with innings of 48 and 23 and his left-armers offer more variation to Pakistan's predominantly right-handed batting order.

Anderson's again moved ahead in New Zealand cricket's version of Andrew Mehrtens v Carlos Spencer. Unless there's a dramatic change in skill-set, this looks set to weave through their careers.

The stance is another reason to pick Ronchi. He's right-handed whereas Anderson and Neesham are left-handers, meaning they're capable of being bowled through the gate out of footmarks used by leg spinner Yasir Shah and left-arm orthodox Zulfiqar Babar, as occurred in the second innings at Dubai.

Ronchi's first-class record is sound against spin, including centuries on New Zealand A tours to Sri Lanka and India last season. In fact, his first-class record is solid regardless of the bowlers.

In 2012-13 he made 807 domestic runs at 62.07, including four centuries. In 2013-14 it was 328 runs at 46.85.

The final say will come down to the selectors but Ronchi might justify a test debut.