India's predicted playing XI for the 1st Test vs New Zealand | October 16, 2024
Team India are set to embark on their next Test assignment, which will be against New Zealand. The first Test will be played at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from Wednesday, October 16.
India have announced a strong squad for the encounter. Reports suggest that one of their key batters is suffering from a neck spasm, meaning they might need to make a change. There's also the question of whether the hosts will want to go in with three fast bowlers as they did against Bangladesh.
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 is India's predicted playing XI for the first Test against New Zealand.
Openers: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal
Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal are nailed down as India's first-choice opening combination in Tests. While they adopted a high-risk, high-reward strategy against Bangladesh, they might need to take a more pragmatic approach against the Kiwis.
Middle order: Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja
Shubman Gill, who has made the No. 3 spot his own in recent times, is reportedly dealing with a stiff neck.
India are likely to decide on him at the toss. and if he doesn't recover for the contest, we could see Sarfaraz Khan slot into the middle order, with KL Rahul taking Gill's place at No. 3. That would be a positive outcome for the hosts, who could use a player of Rahul's solidity at that position.
Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja are three of the team's most important players, both home and away. They will want to be among the runs in a big way against New Zealand.
Lower order: Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah
Overcast conditions in Bengaluru might prompt India to stick to a three-pacer strategy despite the wicket at the venue having offered turn in recent times.
Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav are definite options, with the latter in particular being a major threat. However, we could see them continue with Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep alongside Jasprit Bumrah.
Ravichandran Ashwin, fresh off another Player of the Series performance against Bangladesh, will lead the spin attack again.