Buoyed by their T20 clean sweep, India will look to avenge their defeat in the World Test Championship final when they host a weary New Zea...
Buoyed by their T20 clean sweep, India will look to avenge their defeat in the World Test Championship final when they host a weary New Zealand in the first Test in Kanpur from Thursday.
The Indians have been hurting since the eight-wicket hammering by Kane Williamson’s Black Caps at the inaugural World Test Championship final in Southampton in June.
But they routed the tourists, runners-up in the T20 World Cup earlier this month, in the recent three-game series, giving them confidence that they can start the new World Championship cycle in winning style.
However India – under new coach Rahul Dravid and second in the Test rankings behind New Zealand – will be without their in-form opener Rohit Sharma, who has opted out of the two-Test series, and skipper Virat Kohli.
Kohli will return for the second Test in Mumbai in early December while Ajinkya Rahane will lead the side in his absence in Kanpur.
New Zealand will be boosted by the return of captain Williamson, who was rested from the T20 games following a gruelling schedule that saw his side travel to India just the day after losing the World Cup final in Dubai.
The World Cup itself followed hot on the heels of the Indian Premier League.
India failed to make it...
