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Shubman Gill To Miss Out Due To Injury? India's Probable XI For 1st Test Against New Zealand

Shubman Gill with Rohit Sharma in training session (Source:@Shubman_Abhi_77/X.com)Shubman Gill with Rohit Sharma in training session (Source:@Shubman_Abhi_77/X.com)

India and New Zealand are all set to lock horns in the first Test of the three-match series at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The series is a part of the WTC cycle and a clean sweep by India would go a long way in India sealing their place in the final of World Test Championship.

The Indian team is a dominant force in home conditions and New Zealand last registered a Test win on Indian soil in 1988. So, India are clear favourite to notch up another series win, and ahead of the first Test at the M. Chinnaswamy, let's see what would be India's combination in the match.

The big news ahead of the opening Test is that Shubman Gill has a stiff neck and he might miss the opening Test. The final call will be taken on the match-day and if he is ruled out, KL Rahul might bat at number 3. It will be open a place for Sarfaraz Khan in the XI and he would then bat at number 5. Rest of the batting line-up is likely to be same with Yashasvi Jaiswal opening with Rohit Sharma. Virat Kohli will continue to bat at number 4 and would like to get a big score at his beloved Chinnaswamy Stadium.

India Likely To Drop Siraj If They Opt For Three Spinners

Another conundrum for India is whether to play two pacers or three pacers in the XI. They went with three pacers in both the Tests against Bangladesh, but with New Zealand's tendency to struggle against spin, there is a probability that India might opt for three spinners in the XI. If they do that, Akash Deep might be preferred over Mohammed Siraj as he has bowled quite well in the limited opportunities he has got. It is also a good chance to give him more game-time ahead of Australia series. The third spinner in the XI can be Kuldeep Yadav because of his wicket-taking ability and will provide variety with his wrist spin.

However, with rain around, there will be moisture on the pitch and it could force India to go with three pacers again. Overall, India have all bases covered and lot of options at their disposal, and if the pitch is something like it was during the last Test at this ground in 2022, India would like to go with three spinners.

India's Probable Playing XI For 1st Test Against New Zealand -

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep