Sarfaraz Khan To Get A Game? India's Probable Playing XI For 1st Test Against New Zealand

India's Probable Playing XI For 1st Test Against New Zealand: Will Sarfaraz Khan Get A Game? Will Jasprit Bumrah be rested? Indian think tank will have to answer these questions.

India's Probable Playing XI For 1st Test Against New Zealand: With the Bangladesh Test series done and dusted, India are now looking forward to the three-match Test series against New Zealand which is all set to kickstart at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 16 (Wednesday). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already announced India's squad for the Test series against Kiwis and only pacer Yash Dayal was excluded from the side with all the other members managing to retain their places.

Given the way India played against Bangladesh and the fact that India would not be happy with a draw or a loss in any of the three Test matches against the BlackCaps, India are not likely to tinker with their Playing 11. The only possibility of a change may come if the management feels there is a need for workload management especially of its pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj who will have to spearhead the attack in Australia come the five-Test series.

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If either of Bumrah or Siraj is rested, India can include an extra spinner in the side with the likes of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel waiting for their chance. With a left-arm orthodox in Ravindra Jadeja already in the side, Kuldeep could get the nod especially given New Zealand's struggle against the spinners in their most recent Test series against Sri Lanka but Axar has the batting potential which Kuldeep lacks.

Will Sarfaraz Khan Replace KL Rahul?

The only other spot up for debate is in the middle-order where Sarfaraz Khan scored a double hundred in the Irani Cup but KL Rahul scored a half-century in the Kanpur Test. Rahul might have done just about enough to retain his place in the side for the 1st Test.

India’s Probable Playing 11 For 1st Test Against New Zealand:

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav