Cricket

NZ vs IND, 1st Test: Vihari, Ishant and other key players as India take on the Kiwis

India will kick off the two-match Test series against New Zealand with the first Test at Wellington on Friday.

Both teams will be playing their full-strength squads with star players like Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and others turning up for their respective sides. However, this tour has been more about the rising young and underrated Indian players. The likes of Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Navdeep Saini have already proved their mettle in the ODI and T20I series. And we might see some good Indian players dominating the Tests as well. So, let’s have a look at those players.

Hanuma Vihari: He has started off his tour on a pretty bright note with superb performances in the unofficial Test series between India A and New Zealand A, and in the practice-match against New Zealand XI. Vihari already has scores of 51, 59, 100* and 100 in the contests in these conditions and hence, he looks all set to dominate this series. Vihari will bat at number six for India and he already has 466 Test runs to his name at a healthy average of 42.36.


Ishant Sharma: There was uncertainty over his availability for this series but Ishant has passed the fitness Test and has been given the green light to feature in both the Tests. The tall fast bowler has been a vital cog of India’s pace attack in overseas conditions since the last couple of years. Ishant is fourth in the list of bowlers with most wickets in away Tests since 2018. He has taken 48 wickets in 12 matches during this period at an excellent average and economy rate of 20.41 and 2.63 respectively. He brings control and stability to India’s pace attack. Hence, he will have a crucial role to play in this series.

Mayank Agarwal: The 29-year-old has had a terrific start to his Test career for India. Agarwal has played only eight Tests for his country so far and has amassed a total of 872 runs at a massive average of 66.71. These runs include three centuries and an equal number of fifties as well with his highest score being 243. Agarwal has played 13 innings so far and he needs 128 runs in the next innings to equal Vinod Kambli’s record for being the fastest Indian to 1000 Test runs. Agarwal has shown that he is in good form by playing a composed knock of 80 in the practice-match against New Zealand XI.

 

 

Written by: Prasenjit Dey

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
शेयर
द्वारा प्रकाशित
DafaNews

हाल के पोस्ट

IND vs AUS ODIs Preview: A new era begins for India under Shubman Gill as both teams aim for consistency

The upcoming India vs Australia series should be a terrific one. India has had a… अधिक पढ़ें

October 17, 2025

Focus on Kohli and Rohit as India return to ODIs in Australia

After the T20 Asia Cup and two Test matches in succession, it’s time for Team… अधिक पढ़ें

October 17, 2025

Ravi Shastri reveals what Virat Kohli did before going out to bat ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 ODIs

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri shared a great bonhomie with former skipper Virat Kohli… अधिक पढ़ें

October 16, 2025

Ravi Shastri reveals why Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma decided to retire from Test cricket

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri reckons nobody asked Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to… अधिक पढ़ें

October 16, 2025

Kane Richardson recalls Virat Kohli’s epic knock in IND vs AUS 2017 ODI

Australian fast bowler Kane Richardson praised former Indian captain Virat Kohli for his incredible fitness… अधिक पढ़ें

October 16, 2025

Aakash Chopra says Australia ODIs won’t decide Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s future

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra reckons the upcoming three-match ODI series won’t decide Rohit… अधिक पढ़ें

October 16, 2025