IND vs NZ, 1st Test | Fantasy Tips, Prediction & Preview

India will take on New Zealand in the first fixture of the three-match Test series. India will be entering the series on the back of a 2-0 win against Bangladesh at home. Whereas, New Zealand lost both their Test matches in Sri Lanka recently. They were scheduled to play a one off Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida but that was abandoned with even the toss taking place due to rain and poor ground conditions.

India are coming into this series on the back of an impressive and dominating 2-0 Test series win against Bangladesh. Almost every player from that squad has been retained, meaning the home side will have a balanced and strong attack. Yashasvi Jaiswal will open with captain Rohit Sharma, and the duo will once again look to provide the team with a rollicking start. Jaiswal, in particular, has been phenomenal in the format ever since his debut. 

Apart from him, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul are expected to continue their superb form and provide stability to the middle-order. If the middle-order fails, India also has the cushion of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin to make some crucial runs down the order. These two spin-bowling all-rounders will also be the bowling mainstays for India. Meanwhile Jasprit Bumrah has been lethal throughout this year and will challenge the opposition with the old ball. India will aim to build on their recent success in Test cricket and establish an early advantage in the series. 

On the other hand, New Zealand haven’t had the best of times in Tests this year and are coming into this series after being whitewashed 0-2 by Sri Lanka. To make matters worse, the Black Caps will be without the services of their premier batters, Kane Williamson for the first Test owing to an injury. The onus will now be on new captain Tom Latham to lead from the front. That won’t be easy against India’s formidable bowling attack. 

Rachin Ravindra played exceptionally well in India in last year’s World Cup. Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, and Tom Blundell are expected to get some runs, as they have the experience of doing well in these conditions. Ajaz Patel did well the last time he toured India, taking 17 wickets in 2 Tests. In the series against Sri Lanka recently, the left-arm spinner was the team’s joint-highest wicket-taker with 8 scalps at 35.62. Fast bowler William O’Rourke was excellent in the last Test series.

Match Timings

Match Toss Time - 09:00 AM IST (03:30 AM GMT)

Match Start Time - 09:30 AM IST (04:00 AM GMT)

Match Venue - M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru

Head to Head

Matches Played - 62

India won - 22     New Zealand won - 13

Draw - 27

Last 5 meetings

India won - 01     New Zealand won - 03

Draw - 01

Pitch Report

The surface at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium is known for its consistent bounce and brisk pace, typically offering a balanced battle between batters and bowlers. Due to a good amount of rain in the city, cloud cover is expected throughout the Test. This means fast bowlers should get decent movement off the air. Despite this, the pitch will still offer some turn for the spin bowlers.

Weather Report

The weather forecast is expected to be cloudy with occasional thunderstorms throughout the Test. Rain showers have been predicted in Bengaluru on Tuesday, a day before the first Test in the city. The chances of rain are very high on Wednesday, October 16 as well. The temperature is likely to be around 23-27°C with humidity varying from 70-90%.

Probable Playing XI  

India (IND) - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(wk), KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

New Zealand (NZ) - Tom Latham(c), Devon Conway, Mark Chapman, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell(wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William O’Rourke

Must Picks

IND - Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravichandran Ashwin

NZ -  Rachin Ravindra, Ajaz Patel

IND vs NZ Fantasy Team

Wicket-Keeper : Devon Conway, Rishabh Pant

Batters : Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Daryl Mitchell, Yashasvi Jaiswal

All-rounder : Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner

Bowlers : Jasprit Bumrah

Captain and Vice-Captain picks

Captain : Ravichandran Ashwin

Vice-Captain : Rachin Ravindra

Prediction

New Zealand's track record in India is poor, with just two wins from 36 Tests. Their current form has been shaky, highlighted by their struggles against Sri Lanka's spinners in the recent Test series. A more formidable spin challenge lies ahead in India. While Bengaluru might offer a less hostile pitch for spinners, they are pitted against an Indian side that seems unbeatable at home. Looking at the current form and squad strength of both sides, India are favorites to win this clash.

Sportco predicts India to beat New Zealand in the first Test of the three-match Test series.

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Cover Credits - BCCI Official