India vs NZ, 1st Test: Rohit Sharma elects to bat
After thumping Bangladesh 2-0 in their last red-ball assignment, Team India is up against New Zealand in the opening Test at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The series will be a litmus test for star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy. While Day 1 was washed out, Indian skipper Rohit has won the toss and elected to bat the following day.
A look at two teams
New Zealand (Playing XI): Tom Latham (captain), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wicket-keeper), Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, and William ORourke. India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.
Pitch report and streaming details
Usually, the track at the Chinnaswamy Stadium stadium favors batters. The overcast conditions can favor the bowlers initially. Spinners will gradually come into play as the game progresses. The Sports18 Network will broadcast the match live, while live-streaming is available on the JioCinema app. Meanwhile, the first day's play is slated to begin at 9:15am IST.
Revised session timings for Day 2
As mentioned, incessant rain washed out Day 1 of the Bengaluru Test. Revised session timings for Day 2 - Morning session: 9:15am - 11:30am, Afternoon session: 12:10pm - 2:25pm, and Evening session: 2:45pm - 4:45pm.
India vs New Zealand: A look at the head-to-head record
Team India enjoys a historical edge over New Zealand in Test cricket, having won 22 of the 62 matches, according to ESPNcricinfo. New Zealand, on the other hand, have only managed to win 13 matches. The last series between the two teams saw India winning 1-0 at home in 2021. Notably, India haven't lost a Test against New Zealand at home since 1988 and are on an impressive 18 consecutive Test series wins at home.
India vs New Zealand: Key performers
R Ashwin has an impressive record against NZ, having taken 66 wickets across nine Tests at an average of 15.43. Yashasvi Jaiswal is India's top run-scorer in Tests this year with 929 runs at an average of 66.35. For New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra has scored 599 runs this year at a fine average of 49.91. 66 of Ajaz Patel's 70 Test wickets have come in Asia at 29.43.
