India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat in the opening Test against New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday. After the first day's play was washed out due to rain, India will be eager to maintain its impressive home record in the Test format.
With four days remaining, a high-scoring contest, similar to the one in Kanpur, could be expected. New Zealand, coming off a 2-0 series loss to Sri Lanka, will be determined to turn the tide.
The Kiwis have struggled to win a Test series in India, with their last victory in the country dating back to 1988 at Wankhede. New Zealand captain Tom Latham, acknowledging the challenge ahead, noted their determination to make the most of early conditions after the wicket had been under covers due to rain.
Speaking at the toss, Rohit Sharma said, "We are going to have a bat first. It has been under the covers, and we do understand that it could be slightly sticky early on, but the nature of the pitch is such that you would want to put runs on the board first."
He further added, "You want to get the result as much as we want. We assess where we are and decide what needs to be done as a team. We have played well in the last few Test matches. Fresh series for us, and we want to start well. From the last Test, two changes: Gill misses out, and Sarfaraz comes in. Kuldeep comes in for Akash."
Shubman Gill missed the opening Test due to neck stiffness, prompting Sarfaraz Khan's inclusion in the lineup.
On the other hand, New Zealand captain Tom Latham, highlighting the team's game plan, said, "Wicket has been under covers, so hopefully, we can make good use of it early with the ball. Bit of weather around, so we haven't had a great prep here. Three seamers with Ajaz Patel, and we have two all-rounders who bowl spin too."
India's Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
New Zealand's Playing XI: Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (w), Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William O'Rourke.