India Continue Their WTC March with Crucial New Zealand Test Series

India Continue Their WTC March with Crucial New Zealand Test Series

India are looking to strengthen their World Test Championship (WTC) position as they begin a three-Test series against New Zealand. They need a few more wins to secure their qualification for the WTC final, and with challenging games in Australia coming up, India would like to bag these crucial victories before facing the Aussies. However, rain could be a major factor in Bengaluru, just as it was in Kanpur, where poor weather conditions nearly cost them vital points.

New Zealand, the former WTC champions, will want to disrupt India’s plans. Despite coming off a disappointing 2-0 series loss in Sri Lanka and being without Kane Williamson for at least the first Test, they may have a window of opportunity if the weather creates tricky seaming conditions. For India, playing in potentially seam-friendly conditions might be ideal preparation for their upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

India’s WTC Progress and Challenges

India need seven wins from their last ten Tests to ensure a spot in the WTC final. While some scenarios allow for qualification with fewer wins, the Indian team is keen on getting these victories under their belt before facing Australia. Their six-match winning streak, including the victory at Kanpur despite poor weather and facilities, speaks to their determination.

New Zealand, on the other hand, has won only 37.5% of the points available to them, making them far less threatening on paper. However, with challenging conditions away from home and the absence of key players like Kane Williamson, they have a tough task ahead.

Weather and Pitch Conditions

Rain in Bengaluru has disrupted both teams' preparations and threatens to impact the Test. However, India's excellent drainage facilities mean there’s hope for play despite potential delays. If the rain creates sweat on the pitch, New Zealand might find an opening to put India on the backfoot, especially with India's top seamers ready to exploit any helpful conditions.

Team Selection and Tactics

India are expected to return to spin-friendly tracks after experimenting with three fast bowlers during their series against Bangladesh. However, the weather may force a shift back to seamers, which could benefit both sides in this encounter.

India (Likely XI)	New Zealand (Possible XI)
Rohit Sharma (captain)	Devon Conway
Yashasvi Jaiswal	Tom Latham (captain)
Shubman Gill/Sarfaraz Khan	Will Young
Virat Kohli	Rachin Ravindra
Rishabh Pant (wk)	Daryl Mitchell
KL Rahul	Tom Blundell (wk)
Ravindra Jadeja	Glenn Phillips
Ravichandran Ashwin	Mitchell Santner/Michael Bracewell
Akash Deep/Kuldeep Yadav	Tim Southee
Jasprit Bumrah	Ajaz Patel
Mohammed Siraj	Will O'Rourke

Stats and Trivia

• The last time New Zealand played in India, Ajaz Patel became only the third man in Test history to take all ten wickets in an innings.
• Virat Kohli is just 53 runs short of becoming the fourth Indian to reach 9000 Test runs.
• India has already hit 97 sixes this year, breaking the previous record of 89 set by England in 2022.