Team India and New Zealand will be involved in two Tests this year. While the first game will start on 25th November and will happen at Kanpur, the second game would begin on 3rd December and will take place in Mumbai. BCCI recently announced the squad for this series. In this article, we take a look at the strongest Indian XI for the first Test against New Zealand.
India’s Test squad: Ajinkya Rahane (), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara (VC), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.
Openers: KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal
Rohit Sharma has been rested for this series. Hence, it will be KL Rahul who will be the senior opener for the tournament. He will have Mayank Agarwal as his partner for the first game. It has been a while since both Rahul and Mayank batted together for India in Tests. In England, Rahul executed a perfect comeback to the Test arena. Mayank has been devoid of opportunities and will look to make this series count so that he gets on the flight to South Africa.
Middle-Order: Cheteshwar Pujara, Shubman Gill, Ajinkya Rahane (C) and KS Bharat (WK)
Virat Kohli will not play the first encounter. Rishabh Pant will not play the entire series. Ajinkya Rahane will lead India in the first game. Cheteshwar Pujara will operate at No.3 while Rahane will take his No.5 position. Both these cricketers must be at their best so that they are not dropped for future tournaments. There are reports that Shubman Gill could take up a spot in the middle-order. He is likely to take Virat’s No.4 position in the Indian XI for the first Test against New Zealand. Shreyas Iyer is another candidate for this position. Although Wriddhiman Saha is available, it is best if India tries out KS Bharat so that there is a young and ready backup available for Pant.
All-Rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and R Ashwin
Both Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel are likely to play against New Zealand. Axar Patel’s form when he played against England in March this year makes him hard to drop. R Ashwin will lead the spin attack, and having scored a hundred in the previous series at home, he will be tasked to add stability at No.9 or No.9.
Bowlers: Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj
India might play only two pacers and hence, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj are likely to feature in the XI. Umesh Yadav would also play if the team wants a change in combination. Ishant must do well to secure his future in the team while Siraj should warm up himself for the important tour of South Africa. Prasidh Krishna has also been selected but might not get a game.
