When Virat Kohli and the boys under his command take on New Zealand in the first of the three-Test home series at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur on Thursday, the daunting task the home team could face is not about winning, but about not winning inside three days. When you know that New Zealand will bat fourth in the Test match, that’s a positive sign.
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The test marks the beginning of a long home season for India and Kohli was determined to kick it off in style after a recent series victory in the Caribbean. The conditions in Kanpur have always been testing for overseas teams in the past, especially the bounce. But all their plans can be dampened by rain as heavy downpour is forecast in the city’s next six-day weather reports.
Though New Zealand are likely to encounter hard conditions in form of turning tracks, but they are no strangers to what awaits them, as most of their players have been playing regularly in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The duo shared seven wickets between them in their first match of the tournament to register an emphatic victory over India. Batsmen like Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor will have to be on top of their toes.
It was actually Mumbai who dominated the practice match with three of their batsmen striking a century each in the first innings.
Even history is against the Kiwis, who have not won a Test on the Indian soil in their last 14 attempts.
Inside, you are nearly forced to lipread Kane Williamson. India have their superiority at stake in this series, but New Zealand have nothing to lose. The headache for India would be to determine the opening the slots. Iqbal Qasim and Tauseef Ahmed, of whom we didn’t hear much before or after, were lapping up wickets as only South Asian dust-bowl specialists can.
Captain Virat Kohli is not overtly anxious about the Indian Test team’s recent struggle against spinners but says they are surely working on this aspect since a side that aspires to be a champion can’t leave any window for the opposition to exploit. The 4-match Test series against England at home in 2012 turned out to be a reality check for India. Labelled as an underachiever in Tests, he has not done enough justice to his abilities as he has not been consistent enough.
“The start has been good in the West Indies”. They have ammunition in their bag, including spinners, pacers and quality batsmen to take India down.
Having Jadeja in the ranks gives Kohli that extra batsman in the side. Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami formed the new ball pairing. However, their ace fast bowler Tim Southee has been left out of the XI due to injury.
The Indian team has been an imposing side on spin-friendly conditions, and at home conditions and in fantastic form, the scripts are not likely to change unless Williamson and co. come up with something special.
Ish Sodhi has lost his Black Caps contract.
Containing an India batting lineup, led by a versatile Virat Kohli, would be no less a headache for the tourists, who are already short on bowling resources since landing in India.
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India: M Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav.
