India will face New Zealand in the first of the three-match Test series at Green Park, Kanpur on Thursday.
The Indian side, led by Virat Kohli, will be bidding to win the series and regain the number one spot.
India are favourites coming into the series as they haven’t lost a Test at home since 2012. After their series defeat to England that year, they have beaten Australia 4-0, West Indies 2-0 and South Africa 3-0.
DATE, TIME, VENUE INFO
Date: 22 September 2016 – 26 September 2016
Time: 09:30 local time (IST), 04:00 GMT, 08:00 GST
Venue: Green Park, Kanpur
WHERE TO WATCH, LIVE STREAMING INFO
TV: India – Star Sports 1, HD 1 (English), Star Sports 3, HD 3 (Hindi), UAE – OSN Sports Cricket HD, UK – Sky Sports 2/3 HD
Online streaming: starsports.com, Hotstar app (in India only)
LIVE blog: Sport360 blog
TEAM NEWS, SQUAD, PREDICTED XI
INDIA SQUAD: Kohli (c), Rahane, Vijay, Rahul, Dhawan, Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Saha (wk), Jadeja, Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar, Mishra, Shami, Ishant, Yadav.
India have selected the same 15-man squad that toured the West Indies last month.
Ishant Sharma will miss the first Test due to chikungunya, a disease that causes high fever and joint pain.
Selector Anil Kumble has revealed that no replacement will be sought as the squad already includes three fast bowlers.
Kohli is likely to go ahead with his preferred strategy of playing five bowlers. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are set to miss out on making the XI.
PREDICTED INDIA XI: Vijay, Rahul, Pujara, Kohli (c), Rahane, Ashwin, Saha (wk), Jadeja, Mishra, Bhuvneshwar, Shami.
NEW ZEALAND SQUAD: Williamson (c), Guptill, Latham, Taylor, Watling (wk), Neesham, Nicholls, Ronchi (wk), Santner, Boult, Bracewell, Craig, Sodhi, Wagner, Henry.
New Zealand suffered a major blow when fast bowler Tim Southee suffered an ankle ligament strain during training and will miss the entire series.
All-rounder Jimmy Neesham is also ruled out of the first Test after suffering a rib injury, but is expected to be fit for the second Test on September 30.
With Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner likely to play, it’ll be interesting to see if the New Zealand management decide to go with a third spinner in Mark Craig or opt for three quick bowlers in Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell and Neil Wagner.
CONFIRME NEW ZEALAND XI: Guptill, Latham, Williamson (c), Taylor, Nicholls, Watling (wk), Santner, Bracewell, Wagner, Sodhi, Boult.
FORM
(Last five matches – with latest match first)
INDIA: D W D W W
NEW ZEALAND: L D W W L
MATCH PREDICTION
India to win.