Rohit Aims for Fresh Start vs NZ with WTC Final Focus

Indian captain Rohit Sharma emphasised the team's goal of starting afresh in their Test series against New Zealand, with the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final as the long-term objective. As India aims to maintain their strong position in the WTC rankings, Rohit expressed confidence in building on their recent successes.

After the first day of play was washed out, Rohit won the toss on Day 2 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and chose to bat on what he described as a tricky pitch. "The pitch has been under covers, and we expect it to be sticky at the start. It's crucial to get runs on the board despite losing a day to rain. We've performed well in recent Tests, and this series offers a fresh opportunity to start strong," Rohit said.

India made two changes to their lineup, bringing in Kuldeep Yadav and Sarfaraz Khan. Kuldeep was chosen over Axar Patel, while Sarfaraz replaced the injured Shubman Gill, who is recovering from a stiff neck. Sarfaraz, fresh off a double hundred in the Irani Cup, will bat at No. 5, while KL Rahul is expected to slot in at No. 3.

New Zealand opted for a three-pacer attack, while India fielded two pacers (Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj) alongside three spinners (Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav).

New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (w), Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William O’Rourke 

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj