India vs NZ Test Series Begins Oct 16; Bumrah Leads Attack

India has announced its squad for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand, with no major changes from the team that recently clinched a 2-0 victory over Bangladesh.

Yash Dayal is the only exclusion, while Jasprit Bumrah will serve as vice-captain under Rohit Sharma. Notably, Mohammed Shami, who is undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, remains unavailable for selection.

The 15-member squad includes Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, and Akash Deep. Additionally, four traveling reserves—Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav, and Prasidh Krishna—will accompany the team.

India’s recent Test victory in Kanpur against Bangladesh, which secured a 2-0 series sweep, has further solidified its position at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) points table.

The win was also India’s 18th consecutive home Test series triumph, a streak that dates back to their 2013 whitewash of Australia. The last team to defeat India at home in a Test series was England, back in 2012.

Jasprit Bumrah's six-wicket haul in the Kanpur Test propelled him to the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test bowler rankings, overtaking teammate R Ashwin, who was named Player of the Series against Bangladesh.

The Test series against New Zealand will commence on October 16, with the first match being held in Bengaluru, followed by the second Test in Pune from October 24 to 28, and the third and final Test in Mumbai from November 1 to 5. All matches will start at 9:30 AM IST.

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