India’s stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane has confirmed that Shreyas Iyer is set to make his Test debut in the first match against New Zealand in Kanpur.
India are without the services of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. While Iyer had been in the squad, Suryakumar Yadav was picked later in place of KL Rahul who was ruled out of the series with a thigh muscle strain.
"It is a big blow obviously," Rahane said of the Rahul injury. "He did really well in England, he was in good form, obviously we will miss him. But we have guys who can do that job, guys who have done well for us in the past. So not too worried about the opening slot," was quoted as saying in an ESPNCricinfo report.
The first game of the two-match Test series will begin on Thursday in Kanpur. New Zealand are touring India for three T20Is and two Tests respectively. The visitors suffered a 0-3 defeat in the T20I series and will look to turn fortunes in Tests.
The last time the two sides met each other in a Test was the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship that New Zealand won.