3 things to look forward to in the 1st India vs New Zealand Test ft. Virat Kohli at the Chinnaswamy
India and New Zealand are all set to lock horns in the first Test at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from Wednesday, October 16. It will be the opening game of an enticing three-match rubber.
The hosts are on the back of a comprehensive 2-0 win over Bangladesh. The Kiwis, meanwhile, were whitewashed rather comprehensively in Sri Lanka. While there is an obvious favorite for this rubber, plenty of exciting, competitive cricket beckons.
India’s squad for the three Tests against New Zealand: 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.
On that note, here are three things to look forward to in the first Test between India and New Zealand.
#3 Virat Kohli will return to the Chinnaswamy in whites
Virat Kohli last played a Test at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in March 2022. He has played four matches at the venue, with his first game seeing him score a century and a fifty in the two innings. However, since then, he hasn't crossed the 25-run mark in four knocks.
Nevertheless, Kohli is loved at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and will see the fans cheer him on raucously as he enters the ground. He seemed slightly off-color against Bangladesh, although he did make some amends with a couple of fluent cameos in the second Test. The superstar batter will no doubt want to reach the three-figure mark at one of his all-time favorite venues.
Kohli in Bengaluru is always an event.
#2 How will New Zealand fare without Kane Williamson?
While India will have the luxury of calling upon one of the greatest batters of this generation in the form of Virat Kohli, the same cannot be said about New Zealand. Kane Williamson will play no part in the first Test; he is yet to join the squad as he continues his recovery from a groin niggle.
How will New Zealand fare without Williamson, who's one of their most consistent batters? Will Young has been earmarked to bat at No. 3, but he is an obvious downgrade. While the former Kiwi skipper's record in spinning conditions might not be great, he's still technically sound and has the ability to notch up daddy hundreds at a scary rate.
The second Test against Sri Lanka saw New Zealand adopt a counter-attacking approach in the second innings after being rolled over in the first essay. And while they might look to adopt that strategy once again, they will need someone to anchor them at one end.
Without Williamson, it will be interesting to see how the Kiwis cope.
#1 Will India need to battle the elements once again?
In the second Test against Bangladesh, India managed to fashion a result despite play happening for less than two and a half days. Forced to adopt an attacking approach to force a result, India's openers set the tone before the middle order carried on at the same tempo.
Rain has been forecast for all five days at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, with the first two days in particular not looking very promising. We could see India thrust into a similar situation again, but this time against a much stronger opposition in New Zealand.
World Test Championship points are perhaps less of a factor now, with India having one foot in the final already. However, it will be interesting to see if the team follow the same aggressive approach, with overs at a premium.