India take on New Zealand in the first of the two Tests from Thursday (November 24) at Green Park in Kanpur.
Ajinkya Rahane will lead the Test side in the first match in absence of regular captain Virat Kohli, who return to lead the side in second Test which will take place in Mumbai from December 3 to 7.
KL Rahul has been ruled out of the Test series and his place was secured by Suryakumar Yadav. However, it will another Mumbai batter, Shreyas Iyer, who will be taking Rahul's place in playing XI on Thursday, making his Test debut.
All eyes will be on Ajinkya Rahane as well. There is no doubt over his leadership skills but his batting has been a concern. Although the batting coach and Rahane himself does not think so. Rahane has had struggles to convert his starts into big hundreds in past few years.
The stand-in captain, during the pre-match online media conference, dismissed all such views, saying that he looks to contribute to the team's cause in whhatever ways possible. He said that even 30s and 40s can help teams at times and he has played those crucial knocks.
Kane Williamson will be back for New Zealand. He rested in the T20Is against India and will be looking to make a quick impact on the team post the 3-0 drubbing.
When and what time will the first Test match between India vs New Zealand start?
The first Test match between India vs New Zealand begins on November 21 at 9.30 AM IST.
Where will the first Test match between India vs New Zealand take place?
The first Test match between India vs New Zealand will be held at the Green Park in Kanpur.
Which channel will telecast the first Test match between India vs New Zealand in India?
The first Test match between India vs New Zealand will be available on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 2 HD, and Star Sports Hindi.
How to watch the live streaming of the first Test match between India vs New Zealand in India?
The first Test match between India vs New Zealand will stream live on the Disney+Hotsar app and website.
