"Kal ka aaya Rahane bhi toss jit gaya" - Fans react after India elect to bat first in first Test versus New Zealand
The inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) finalists India and New Zealand will play a two-Test series to kickstart the 2021-23 cycle. Several key players are sitting out this series for India, and the onus will be on youngsters to step up and deliver the goods.
Talented Mumbai batter Shreyas Iyer received his debut Test cap from legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar just before the toss. Iyer will fill in as a replacement for Virat Kohli in the middle-order for the first Test.
🎥 A moment to cherish for @ShreyasIyer15 as he receives his #TeamIndia Test cap from Sunil Gavaskar - one of the best to have ever graced the game. 👏 👏
#INDvNZ @Paytm https://t.co/kPwVKNOkfu
Indian skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and elected to bat on a typical Indian pitch, which will probably offer a fair bit of turn. Team India went in with a bowling combination of three spinners and two pacers. New Zealand have handed a debut to spin bowling all-rounder Rachin Ravindra.
Here are the playing XI's for this Test match:
India playing XI: Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (w), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav
New Zealand playing XI: Tom Latham, Will Young, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (w), Rachin Ravindra, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, Kyle Jamieson, William Somerville
Fans were excited to have Test cricket back in India after a while. They took to Twitter to express their views after the toss. Here are some of the best reactions:
In the absence of Rohit & Virat, Pujara & Rahane hv to provide the Solidity needed. It will be interesting to see this duo bat..in a test match. Indian bowling will be all about the Spinners & it's covered well. I prefer Siraj over Ishant though..
#StatsWaleBhaiya
Stat 188
Players making their Test Debut under their statemate's captaincy since 2000 -
Deep Dasgupta - S Ganguly (2001)
V Aaron - MS Dhoni (2011)
R Pant - Kohli (2018)
S Iyer - Rahane (2021)
#Cricket #INDvsNZ #INDvNZ #NZvIND #SLvWI #WIvSL #Stats #INDvsNZ
@Gustavofring_45 @Priyanshuinnn No. It is just a mumbai lobby.
Just how they push and support their player.
Prithvi Shaw
Rohit Sharma
Surya Kumar Yadav
Shreyas Iyer
Ajinkya Rahane
Shardul thakur
Just wait and see one good knock in SA A SERIES Sarfaraz Khan also enter Indian team
@BCCI @ShreyasIyer15 @Paytm Rahane as captain is risk associated with this context. Captain must be with even just below average form as player.RJ,Axar& Ashwin , is equal to 2 batsman,hence 3rd fast bowler is better. Coach is not matter,captain in the middle only can take game in all directions &dimensions
Even Rahane won the toss. #INDvsNZ
Siraj’s exclusion is a surprise. So impressive since his debut in Australia last season. Good toss to win for Rahane. Batting last always big task, especially for visiting teams. NZ playing 3 spinners, radical departure from earlier tactics
Rahane to Umesh and Ishant after their first spell
#INDvNZ #Cricket https://t.co/p04P6WKc4B
You're a blessed man @ShreyasIyer15 to be receiving this wonderful honour from one of the greatest cricketers India has ever seen.
You've worked hard in first class cricket and may you have a fabulous test career was well.
Go well brother. ❤️❤️
#IndianCricketTeam twitter.com/BCCI/status/14…
India missing Rohit, Rahul, Virat, Bumrah, Shami. Huge pressure specially on Indian batting. Gill looking to cement place on the side, Iyer would want to make immediate impact, Pujara and Rahane have to ward off strong threats from aspiring batsmen
"I have no concerns about my form" - Ajinkya Rahane
Team India's stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane has revealed that he is not thinking too much about his form and is only concerned about contributing to the team's cause in whatever way possible. In a press conference on the eve of the Kanpur Test, Ajinkya Rahane said:
"I have no concerns about my form. My job is to think about how can I contribute to the team and contribution doesn't mean you need to make 100 in every game. 30-40 runs or 50-60 runs in a crucial moment is a very important contribution.
He added:
I always think about the team and never about myself that, 'What lies ahead for me?' or 'What will happen in the future?' I think I am very fortunate and grateful, it's an honor for me to lead the country. So not too much bothered about what will happen. What's there in the future will happen. My focus is to give my best in a particular moment and that's what I am going to try."
New Zealand will be a very crucial series for Rahane as a batter. He needs to score a couple of substantial knocks with several others waiting in the wings to grab any available opportunity.