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There is a risk of rain at the opener between India and New Zealand

Posted on by Vanessa
There is a risk of rain at the opener between India and New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND TOUR OF INDIA, 2024

There can be a lot of waiting and watching in the first two days in Bengaluru.

There can be a lot of waiting and watching in the first two days in Bengaluru. © BCCI

India find themselves in a situation similar to the start of their previous Test in Kanpur with rain posing a major threat to the Test. With vital World Test Championship points still at stake, they would be hoping to complete a full Test to force a result in their favour. Against a New Zealand side that has struggled with the adjustment, they should come in as clear favorites in their usual home conditions, but the conditions prevailing above in Bengaluru could ease New Zealand's worries a little.

After a 2-0 loss to Sri Lanka, a change in captaincy and the absence of Kane Williamson, there is a lot for the visitors to worry about apart from bowling inexperience. Added to this, their preparation in India has been affected by the weather, making adapting to the pitches against a strong Indian team all the more difficult. Even if the odds are against them, they would rely on the group's experience to tide them over. Rachin Ravindra's white-ball experiences here alongside Daryl Mitchell's offer some consolation. Tom Latham, the new full-time Test skipper, has passed five fifties and the last time Tim Southee played a Test in Bengaluru he scored a seven-fer, while Ajaz Patel had a groundbreaking ten-wicket haul in an innings in Mumbai achieved.

New Zealand would need all the confidence it can draw from various directions as it faces its biggest challenge in Test cricket at the moment. India at home currently presents a comprehensive challenge unlike any other in the world. They have in-depth knowledge on all fronts and have experience that comes with the form. That some key batsmen have room for improvement here adds to the formidable challenge they have already posed. Neither Rohit Sharma nor Virat Kohli were able to reach a 50-point mark in the two Tests against Bangladesh, which they would be keen to reverse before the series Down Under.

When: Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 09:30 AM IST

Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

What to Expect: It is likely that some play will be affected by rain, particularly on the first day. However, the cool air conditions could allow visitors some time to adjust to India. The pitch was fully covered a day before matchday one and the early dampness could force teams to consider additional tempo options if it stays that way.

Teams:

India

When the rain eased two days before the start of the game, they managed to complete a full training session, but were unable to do so a day before. In what happened, Shubman Gill played a lesser role overall as Sarfaraz Khan was included in the slip-catching exercises. One small thing could lead to a direct trade in the hitting department. On the bowling front, conditions would require the addition of a third seamer, which could mean India fielding an unchanged bowling line-up for the third consecutive season.

Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Mohammad Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand

Will Young will step in as a direct replacement for Kane Williamson. If they use three pacers, Mitchell Santner's position could be at risk with Matt Henry waiting in the wings.

Probable XI: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner/Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Will O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel

Did you know?

– Virat Kohli needs 53 runs for 9000 Test runs. He hasn't reached fifty in his last six innings this year.

– New Zealand have not won a Test series in India in their 12 attempts. The last time they won a Test match in India was at Wankhede in 1988.

– Teams that won the toss have never chosen to chase in three consecutive Tests in India, a record that could be re-set in Bengaluru

What they said:

“We are keeping our options open to also play three seamers and three spinners. But again, we just want to come in tomorrow morning and see what the conditions are and then take a call. We will discuss that as the game progresses. “We want to see what situation is in front of us, how many overs need to be played and things like that. When we came to Kanpur we had no idea that it would be washed out for two days and then we won't have a full game but we managed to get a win and we have all our plans based on the time, that keeps us in the game, implemented So I don't know what's going to happen here, but I expect us to come here tomorrow and see what lies ahead. Rohit Sharma, captain of India

“I think everywhere in the world it's hard to win away from home at the moment. You have to play really good cricket. Cricket teams are obviously fantastic in their own conditions. They know how to play in their own conditions.' And I think you look at India as a whole when you look at those conditions. But they have an equally good close attack as far as Bumrah, Siraj and Deep are concerned, who played the last pair of Test matches against Bangladesh so it's just a versatile team that can take a game away from you pretty quickly. We're looking forward to the challenge and can hopefully draw on the experiences we've had here on recent tours. – Tom Latham, New Zealand captain

© Cricbuzz

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