India vs New Zealand 2021-22, Mumbai Test: Virat Kohli wins toss, opts to bat

India and New Zealand face each other in the second and final Test in Mumbai from Friday. After a delayed toss, Virat Kohli and co have won it and will be batting first.

It is expected to be another thrilling clash between India and New Zealand as the two take on each other in the second and final Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday. The toss was delayed due to a wet outfield but took place right at the stroke of lunch, with Indian skipper Virat Kohli winning it and opting to bat.

Kohli said that the wicket looked good with not enough grass cover, while with the sun coming out, it should get easier to bat. Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja are missing out, as confirmed earlier, while he named himself, Jayant Yadav and Mohammed Siraj as the replacements. On being asked about his training while resting during the Kanpur Test, he said he just practised the basics.

As for the drawn Kanpur Test, he credited the Kiwi batters for batting out well on the final day. While the Mumbai Test happens to be the decider, with both teams vying for a win, Kohli asserted that his team could capitalise at any position, even while playing at home. And, all it needs to do is play well. Meanwhile, Tom Latham came in as the stand-in skipper for an injured Kane Williamson.

"We would've had a bat too. It's been under covers for a few days. So, it might do a bit early. Unfortunate for Kane, his elbow is acting up again, but a good chance for Mitchell. It might swing with the humidity here, and we will get assistance, and given the pitch, it will spin too. We did well after losing the toss in Kanpur, and hopefully, we can make use of the conditions here and pick up some early wickets," he said during the toss.

Playing XI
India: Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj.
New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, William Somerville and Ajaz Patel.