The Indian men’s cricket team’s home season will continue. After the series against Bangladesh, the Rohit Sharma-led outfit will lock horns with inaugural World Test Championship winners New Zealand in a three-match Test series, starting October 16.
It will be a three-match series. Considering India are firm contenders to enter the World Test Championship Final, they will be keen to win this series by 3-0. India should name a strong squad for this series, and here’s a predicted 15-man squad for India against New Zealand.
Batters – Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli and Abhimanyu Easwaran
Rohit Sharma should continue leading the team. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill should retain their spots in the top-order, with Virat Kohli being the number four batter. Abhimanyu Easwaran should be drafted into the squad as a backup opener after his solid performances in the domestic arena.
Wicketkeepers – KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant
Three wicketkeepers who played in the Bangladesh Test series, should keep their places in India’s squad. Rishabh Pant should keep the wickets, while KL Rahul should play as a specialist batter and backup wicketkeeper. Dhruv Jurel can be the third wicketkeeping option.
All Rounders – Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel
The venues for the three-match series between India and New Zealand are Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai. Since these stadiums may offer spin-friendly surfaces, India should go in with three spin-bowling all-rounders. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel should hold on to their spots.
Bowlers – Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep
The trio of fast bowlers, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah and Akash Deep, did a fantastic job against Bangladesh. They should continue against New Zealand. Kuldeep Yadav should earn a place as the specialist spinner. If India play on a dust bowl, he can be picked.
