IND vs NZ 2021-22, Kanpur Test: Can India draw first blood without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul?

India plays New Zealand in the opening Test in Kanpur from Thursday. With no Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, it will have an uphill task at hand.

India will have a complex task at hand when it takes on New Zealand in the opening Test of the two-Test series at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur on Thursday. Also, India will eye payback from its ICC World Test Championship defeat to the side a few months back. With lots at stake, we present the match preview.

Current form
India is coming off a successful outing in the format. It possesses a 2-1 lead in the four-Test against England in the United Kingdom, held a couple of months back before the final Test was postponed due to a COVID outbreak. As for New Zealand, it is coming off a win in the WTC final and a 1-0 win in the two-Test series in England.

Team strength & weaknesses, and players to watch out
India possesses 11 batters, compared to its eight bowlers, making it batting heavy. However, considering the star power, it would be its bowling that would be its strength. The players who could impact would be Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel.

As for NZ, it is heavy on its batting too, with 11 batters, as with the gravity of stars in the line-up, it would be its strength. Also, its bowling seems to be slightly inexperienced, especially considering the specialist bowlers. But, enough possession of all-rounders would balance it. Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner would be the ones to watch out for.

Injury concerns and head-to-head
While NZ has no fresh injury concern, KL Rahul has been ruled out with a calf strain and replaced by Suryakumar Yadav. As for the head-on clashes, in 60 Tests, India leads 21-13. In India, the host has a lead of 16-2 of the 34 matches. Of the three Tests in Kanpur between the two, India leads 2-0.

Weather and pitch report
The weather in Kanpur would be typical, with an expected temperature of 27 degrees and 61% humidity. The track would assist the batters, while the spinners would come into play as the game progresses. Winning the toss and batting first would be a no-brainer on this surface.

Probable XI
India: Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Cheteshwar Pujara (vc), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj.
New Zealand: Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (wk), Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner.

Fantasy XI
Batters: Taylor, Pujara, Williamson (vc), Mitchell - Williamson and Mitchell would be the perfect openers, with Pujara stabilising at number three and Taylor at number four. Williamson's reliability makes him the deputy captain.
Wicketkeeper: Saha - He is the only ideal player in form and suits in the department.
All-rounders: Jadeja, Ashwin (c), Santner - More than the batting, the trio would be best suited to impact with their spins, while Ashwin's veteran experience makes him the skipper.
Bowlers: Ishant, Southee, Jamieson - This trio can impact their pace in every condition and would be sure to do the same in this tie.

Match details
Date and day: November 25, 2021 (Thursday)
Venue: Green Park Stadium, Kanpur
Time: 9.30 AM (IST)
Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 Hindi (Also available in HD, along with regional languages)
Where to watch (Online): Hotstar