New Delhi: India and New Zealand are set to clash in a mouthwatering red-ball fiesta over the next couple of weeks. However, fans might have to wait for a little more before the action takes centre stage due to the bad weather in Bengaluru which has made it impossible to start the match on time tomorrow.
It has been raining cats and dogs in Bengaluru since Monday (October 14) night and it hasn’t stopped even in the morning cancelling India’s training session. There is a 70% to 90% chance of rain on the first two days of the Test. Moreover, a yellow alert has also been issued across the majority of Karnataka including Bengaluru. This means that there is a possibility that the entire test is washed out owing to bad weather.
Here is a look at the weather report over the next 5 days:
Source: Weather.com
Will the Bengaluru pitch remain the same?
The pitch at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium has turned out to be a batting paradise over the years. Batters are usually able to make flawless stroke play owing to the flat deck at Chinnaswamy. Furthermore, the pitch also assists seamers and spinners which can make the game interesting in the battle between bat and ball.
In the early phase, the fresh surface will provide seamers with a decent amount of assistance. Following some wear and tear in the wicket, spinners can have a strong say in the game. The average first innings score in the M Chinnaswamy Stadium is 354. Naturally, fans are in for a treat if the match takes place at the end of the turbulence.
India vs New Zealand 1st Test: Squads
India
KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (c), Sarfaraz Khan, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
New Zealand
Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Philipps, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Blundell (wk), Tom Latham (c)(wk), Ajaz Patel, Ben Sears, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Will O’Rourke