Fri Oct 18 10:50:00 UTC 2024: ## India Opt for Spin in Surprise Move for First Test Against New Zealand

**Bengaluru:** In a surprising move, India opted for a spin-heavy attack, picking three specialist spinners, for the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. This decision came after captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first, despite overcast conditions.

The team selection saw two changes from the side that defeated Bangladesh 2-0 in the recent series. Shubman Gill, who was struggling with neck stiffness, was replaced by Sarfaraz Khan at number three. Meanwhile, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was preferred over pacer Akash Deep, indicating India’s faith in spin on a pitch expected to be damp after being under covers for two days.

“The pitch has been under the covers for a couple of days and we do understand it will be sticky to start with. Keeping that in mind, we wanted to put runs on the board,” explained Rohit.

While India’s recent performances have been strong, Rohit remains cautious about the four-day match. “It’s a tricky one because you lose the entire day and have four days to play. A lot can happen over the four days as well and you want to get the result as much as possible,” he stated.

The two teams will clash in two more Tests, with the second in Pune from October 24-28 and the final Test in Mumbai from November 1-5.

**Here are the playing XIs:**

**India:** Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

**New Zealand:** Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William O’Rourke.

Read More