By Peter Calder in Bengaluru
Nothing causes such gloom as a bad weather forecast on the opening day of a cricket test. That’s particularly true for anyone who’s travelled all the way from New Zealand for the three-test series between the Black Caps and India, the side the New Zealanders defeated on the sixth and reserve day of the World Test Championship final in 2021.
At the scheduled start of play at the Mangalam Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, the visitors had not even arrived at the ground. About 50 optimistic spectators had shown up to stare at the covers, but their chance of seeing so much as a toss looked slim at best.
It should hardly have come as a surprise. Monsoon season doesn’t end in the state of Karnataka until November and this year’s has been a record-breaker. It rains daily and rains heavily often.
Quite why the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) would schedule an October test match in this city is hard to fathom. A completed test looks like a remote prospect; a washout, to go with that in the non-match against Afghanistan in Greater Noida last month, is not impossible.
The outlook for the second and third tests, in Pune and nearby Mumbai, seems brighter. This time of year is notably dry in that part of the country.
The Black Caps have played 36 tests in India since 1955 and have won just two, the last victory being back in 1988. This will be New Zealand’s 13th test tour of India, have never claimed a series victory with the best result being two drawn series (1969 and 2003).
The hosts head into the series sitting top in the World Test Championship standings with 74.24%, having won their last six straight tests. The Black Caps are back in sixth in the WTC standings and haven’t won a test match since February.
What time is New Zealand vs India?
The first ball will be bowled at 5pm today.
How to watch New Zealand vs India?
Sky Sport 1 has coverage from 4.50pm to 1am each day. You can also follow the action with the Herald live blog.
Test series schedule
1st Test, Bengaluru, October 16-20
2nd Test, Pune, October 24-28
3rd Test, Wankhede, November 1-5
Previous test form
New Zealand: L, L, A, L, L.
India: W, W, W, W, W.
(Most recent first)
New Zealand vs India - last five test results
Dec 3 2021 - India won by 372 runs, Wankhede
Nov 25 2021 - Draw, Kanpur
Jun 18 2021 - New Zealand won by eight wickets, Southampton
Feb 29, 2020 - New Zealand won by seven wickets, Christchurch
Feb 21, 2020 - New Zealand won by 10 wickets, Wellington
New Zealand squad vs India
Tom Latham (captain), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell (1st test only), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffey, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi (2nd and 3rd tests), Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Will Young.
India squad v New Zealand
Rohit Sharma (captain), 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, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep.
Ones to watch
Kane Williamson
The Black Caps master has played 15 innings in India with one century, which was his first time out to the middle in 2010. Williamson averages 40.20 in India but should he overcome a groin injury it will be his second test there in eight years. Williamson started 2024 with three straight centuries against South Africa and has two half centuries across nine innings since.
Virat Kolhi
In 11 test matches Kohli has three centuries against the Black Caps, high score of 211, but has missed out in his last nine test innings vs New Zealand including a duck in the 2021 Wankhede test. Kohli has yet to score a century in 2024 which surely will end soon with three tests against New Zealand followed by a tour of Australia.
Jasprit Bumrah
42 wickets in his last eight tests, Bumrah has a bowling average of just 14.42 in 2024. He’s only played three tests against New Zealand, taking just six wickets. And of his 38 test matches, only 10 have been on home soil so he will be enjoying the chance to run in in front of home fans.
Ajaz Patel
Remember the last time New Zealand played a test series in India? Patel joined cricket immortality with 10 wickets in innings. No doubt he can’t wait to see the Wankhede pitch again for the third test. Before then he should have plenty of overs to bowl.
