INDIA on Thursday (25) won the toss and elected to bat in the first Test against New Zealand at Green Park in Kanpur.
Ajinkya Rahane, who is captaining the host team in the first game in the absence of Virat Kohli, will be missing some key players in the ranks who have either been arrested or injured. Shreyas Iyer made his Test debut in the game, four than four years after he made his international debut which was in the limited-over format.
The 26-year-old Iyer, who averages above 52 in first-class cricket, received his maiden Test cap from legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar.
India are playing New Zealand for the first time since the Kiwis crushed them by eight wickets in the final of the World Test Championship in England in June.
New Zealand have never won a Test series in India.
India XI: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav
New Zealand Playing XI: Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Blundell (wicket-keeper), Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Will Somerville, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Will Young
Sachin Tendulkar of India celebrates his 50th Test century during day 4 of the 1st Test match between South Africa and India at SuperSport Park on December 19, 2010 in Centurion, South Africa. Photo by Duif du Toit / Gallo Images/Getty Images
Cheteshwar Pujara of India celebrates after reaching his century during day one of the Fourth Test match in the series between Australia and India at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 03, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images