Coach Dravid’s first big test; NZ aim to break 33-year-old jinx

When Kane Williamson’s men take the field today, at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, the visitors will not just chase to break a 33-year-old winless streak, but also their maiden Test series win in India.

On the other hand, Rahane, with his career on the line, gets to lead India may be one last time while 100-Test veteran Ishant Sharma will be praying that young turk Mohammed Siraj doesn’t nudge him out. Two more failures in two home games could effectively mean the end of the road for Rahane. Even Dravid will also find it difficult to justify the Mumbaikar’s inclusion in the Johannesburgbound flight next month.

Shreyas Iyer is all set to make Test debut in the first Test. He comes in to replace opener KL Rahul, who is ruled out after straining his left thigh; Rahane leads India in the absence of Virat Kohli, who is rested along with Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami.

But this also gives head coach Rahul Dravid a chance to check out what his backup bench strength is before the away tour of South Africa which starts in less than a month’s time.

If one goes by cues from nets, the sequence of batters appears to be Gill and Mayank, followed by Pujara and Rahane. Next in line was Shreyas, which confirmed that Surya will have to wait for his Test debut.

But one man, itching to go out there and reaffirm his status as the world’s number one spinner will be Ravichandran Ashwin, who had been licking his wounds for the past few months after a royal snub by regular captain Kohli during the last series.

New Zealand may have golden memories of beating India in Southampton to claim the inaugural WTC trophy in June but the neutral territory of the Rose Bowl can hardly seem further away.

The Black Caps will be without Devon Conway, who injured himself in the T20 World Cup, and fast bowler Trent Boult, who has been rested for the Test series. They will hope left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel and offspinner Will Somerville can pressure India’s powerful batting lineup, with all-rounder Mitch Santner also likely to be on hand with left-arm spin. New Zealand with an air of fatigue after a long road trip and the emotional letdown of the T20 World Cup , will face the same opponents where they have never won a test series let alone a test since the 1988/89 tour.

Whitewashed 3-0 by India in a T20 series, the ‘Black Caps’ have lost that winning feeling as they head into the first test in Kanpur against an opponent bent on revenge. -(With inputs from agencies)

India (probable): 1. Mayank Agarwal, 2. Shubman Gill, 3. Cheteshwar Pujara, 4. Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 5. Shreyas Iyer, 6. Ravindra Jadeja, 7. Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8. R Ashwin, 9. Axar Patel/Suryakumar Yadav, 10 and 11. two out of Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma.

New Zealand (probable): 1. Tom Latham, 2. Will Young, 3.Kane Williamson (capt), 4. Ross Taylor, 5. Henry Nicholls, 6. Tom Blundell (wk), 7. Mitchell Santner/Kyle Jamieson, 8. Tim Southee, 9. Neil Wagner, 10. Will Somerville, 11. Ajaz Patel.

Match Starts at 9:30 am Live on Star Network