IND v NZ: India win toss, elect to bat against New Zealand

Shikhar Dhawan in for KL Rahul, Bhuvneshwar replaces Umesh Yadav

 

 

Kolkata: India skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat against New Zealand in the second cricket Test of the three-match series at the Eden Gardens here on Friday.

India made two changes, bringing in Shikhar Dhawan in place of Lokesh Rahul, who was ruled out of the remainder of the series because of a hamstring injury. Also Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes in for Umesh Yadav.

New Zealand suffered a set back on the morning of the Test after captain Kane Williamson was ruled out due to fever. Ross Taylor will lead the side against India.

"Tough to replace the skipper and the No. 2 batsman in the world and hopefully we can make use of first use of the pitch. He has had a bit of fever and he was still sick this morning. Would have been hard for him to play in this kind of heat," said Taylor.

New Zealand also made two changes, bringing in Matt Henry in place of Henry Nicholls and Jeetan Patel replaces Ish Sodhi in the playing XI.

PLAYING XIs

India: M Vijay, S Dhawan, CA Pujara, V Kohli*, AM Rahane, RG Sharma, R Ashwin, WP Saha, RA Jadeja, B Kumar, Mohammed Shami.

New Zealand: TWM Latham, MJ Guptill, HM Nicholls, LRPL Taylor*, L Ronchi, MJ Santner, BJ Watling, JS Patel, N Wagner, MJ Henry, TA Boult.