The pitch area is covered with plastic sheets as it rains, ahead of the first test match between India and New Zealand 2024, at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium (KSCA), in Bengaluru on October 15, 2024.
| Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar
Rain could disrupt proceedings in the first India-New Zealand Test which commences at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Heavy showers forced both teams to call off their training sessions on Tuesday. Play is likely to be interrupted in the first two days of the Test, at a minimum.
New Zealand will be wary regardless, as India recently showed that even a heavily truncated encounter cannot stop its march to victory.
Bangladesh learnt the hard way, going down in two days in the second Test at Kanpur earlier this month.
Poor record
The Kiwis must overcome a particularly poor record in India. The last Test win on these shores came all the way back in 1988 at Bombay, inspired by stellar shows from John Bracewell and Richard Hadlee. The 19 Tests that have followed have resulted in ten losses and nine draws. To make the task harder, key batter Kane Williamson is out for the first match due to a groin strain. Fast bowler Ben Sears, known to hurry batters with extra zip off the pitch, is also out injured. His replacement, uncapped Otago Volts bowler Jacob Duffy, will not be able to reach the city in time for start of play.
The visitor is expected to rely heavily on spinners Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips and Ajaz Patel to carry the bulk of the load.
A 0-2 loss to Sri Lanka last month cannot help confidence.
Sitting pretty
India, meanwhile, is sitting pretty on a six-match winning streak. A 3-0 sweep in this series, which will guarantee a spot in the World Test Championship final, serves as timely motivation.
If India can manage to secure early passage to the summit clash, it will considerably reduce the pressure when the side tours to Australia later this year for five Tests.
The rain and damp pitch could prompt India to feature three pacers in Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep. The trio is more than capable of turning it on in the absence of an injured Mohammed Shami.
Focus on Ashwin, Jadeja
Spinners R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who took 11 and nine wickets respectively in the Bangladesh series, will once again prove to be a handful.
On the batting front, Virat Kohli will welcome the chance to feature in his second home. Kohli will hold fond memories of scoring 103 and 51 n.o. against the same opposition at this venue in 2012, to hand India a hard-fought win.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who found form in the Bangladesh games, is capable of deflating the opposition in a single session. The young opener received high praise from his captain Rohit Sharma. “The guy has got real talent. He has got the game to play in all conditions. From what he has shown us in this brief period of time, you can bet on him and expect him to do wonders for the team. We have found a great player,” Rohit said.
By all accounts, India’s proud home record – the last series defeat came at the hands of England in 2012 – is set to continue.
Teams
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
New Zealand: Tom Latham (captain), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Blundell (wk), Ajaz Patel, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, William O’Rourke, Jacob Duffy.
Match starts at 9.30 AM IST.
Published – October 15, 2024 04:53 pm IST
