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NZ vs IND 1st Test: Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson has dropped selection hints ahead of the first Test of the two-match series in Wellington. Williamson confirmed that Kyle Jamieson will fill the spot vacated by Neil Wagner at Basin Reserve in Wellington, to form the pace attack alongside Tim Southee and Trent Boult.
As per reports, the curator has left more moisture in to try and maintain pace and bounce for five days. In the last test here, Wagner bounced out Bangladesh in three days. In such a case, both captains would desperately look to win the toss and bowl first.
“You don’t replace a guy like Neil; the qualities he brings are quite unique. You bring in a guy that targets different areas coming from a different height, and a really exciting opportunity for Kyle Jamieson,” Williamson said.
“If you can execute your plans on a surface that’s providing assistance that’s a challenge for anybody. And the pace and bounce you might get provide an opportunity for run-scoring so there’s a balance there. It’s never a given even when the surface is green,” added Kiwi captain.
Now, it remains to be seen whether Blackcaps go with allrounder Daryl Mitchell or choose Ajaz Patel as a spin option. Going by the surface and conditions, Mitchell is likely to be favoured, and as it also bolsters batting at No 8.
India Test Squad: Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(c), Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Hanuma Vihari, Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill