New Delhi: India will look to continue their stellar run and start the series with a win when they lock horns with New Zealand in the 1st Test of the three-match series at the Chinaswammy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, October 16. India will start as favourites against a New Zealand side which is currently in transition and is heading into the series on the back of a 2-0 drubbing at the hands of Sri Lanka.
To add to the visitors’ woes, veteran pacer Tim Southee stepped down as Test captain days before the start of the India series with Tom Latham being given the charge. New Zealand will also miss former captain Kane Williamson in the first Test with the star batter still recovering groin strain. New Zealand will rely on the experience in their side as they aim to stop India’s juggernaut at home.
The weather is bad news for both teams as there are strong chances of rain threatening to play spoilsport through the course of the Test match. The overcast conditions will ease things a bit for New Zealand but India will still back the spin duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to dictate proceedings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill have been in fine form in the longest format this year and have been churning out runs consistently. Deemed the future pillars of Indian cricket, Gill and Jaiswal will hope to continue to showcase their class against the visitors. The Test series will also be a chance for skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to get big runs behind their back.
India vs New Zealand 1st Test – All you need to know
Inda vs New Zealand – Date, time and venue
The first Test between India and New Zealand will be played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from Wednesday, October 16. The Test match will start at 9:30 AM IST with the toss set to take place at 9:00 AM IST.
Squads for India vs New Zealand 1st Test
India – Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj
New Zealand – Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Kane Williamson, Michael Bracewell, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tom Blundell (wk), Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Ajaz Patel, William ORourke
India vs New Zealand 1st Test – Live streaming details
The live telecast of the first Test between India and New Zealand will be available on the Sports 18 network in India. The live streaming of the 1st Test will be available on the Jio Cinema app and the website for free.
Rohit Sharma-led India will take on New Zealand in the 1st Test of the three-match series at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, October 16. Here is all you need to know about the Test match. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
