India will lock horns with New Zealand in the two-match Test series slated to begin on Thursday in Kanpur. The home side will be without the services of some key players like Virat Kohli (rested for only one game), Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul.
Rahul was on Tuesday ruled out of the series due to a muscle strain on his left thigh and Suryakumar Yadav has replaced him in the squad.
With the absence of both Rahul and Rohit now, the onus of opening the batting will be on Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal.
The last time the two sides met each other in a Test fixture was the final of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship in Southampton earlier this year. The Kane Williamson-led side won that game and clinched the trophy.
India would now look to turn tables in the longer format of the game. Ajinkya Rahane will be leading the side in absence of Kohli in this match.
On the other side, Devon Conway will miss out on playing the series due to a hand injury that he sustained during the T20 World Cup.
Match Details
Match: IND vs NZ, 1st Test, New Zealand tour of India, 2021
Date: Thursday, November 25, 2021 - Monday, November 29, 2021
Time: 9:30 AM (Nov 25)
Venue: Green Park, Kanpur
Pitch Report
The venue hasn’t really hosted many Tests in the recent past and in fact the last one was against New Zealand only where R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja scalped 16 wickets out of the 20. It is expected that the track is likely to assist the spinners again but the batsmen can have some help in the initial phase of the game. So, if you win the toss, elect to bat.
Team News
India: India batter KL Rahul was ruled out of the series with muscle strain on his left thigh and the selectors called up Suryakumar Yadav as his replacement. But stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane has cleared that Shreyas Iyer who has already been in the squad will make his Test debut against New Zealand in Kanpur.
New Zealand: Devon Conway’s absence is likely to have Will Young in the opener’s role while Tom Blundell can be seen in the middle order. Captain Kane Williamson who had missed the T20I series to prepare for the Tests is also back in the side. But the bowling combination is a much bigger headache for the team management considering the spinners’ role.
Coach Gary Stead has already said that the team might field three spinners in the XI.
Probable XI
India: Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane (C), Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Will Young, Kane Williamson (C), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (WK), Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, Will Somerville
Probable XI
Wriddhiman Saha, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson (C), Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, R Ashwin (VC), Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, Kyle Jamiseson