IND vs NZ Test: Cheteshwar Pujara picks India's playing XI for first match

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Team India will take on New Zealand in the multi-format series, beginning from October 22. The series will include five T20Is, five ODIs, and two Test matches.

Ahead of the two-match Test series, former Team India’s cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara picked his playing XI for the first game against the “Black Caps”.

According to a video posted by Cricinfo, the former cricketer would make KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal open the innings for Team India. He also picked Devdutt Padikkal for the number three spot.

He has also included Dhruv Jurel in his playing XI along with wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, whose availability is subject to fitness clearance. Team India’s bowling will be boosted by having the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

Cheteshwar Pujara’s playing XI for 1st Test against New Zealand (via Cricinfo): KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

The squad also features all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, alongside spinner Kuldeep Yadav, providing a mix of pace, spin and all-round options.

Pacers Akash Deep and Anshul Kamboj made a comeback to the India squad for the two Test series.

The five-match T20I series between the teams will begin from October 22, with the first match scheduled to be played at Hagley Park South in the central city of Christchurch. The first match of the five-match ODI series will be played on November 4 at the Eden Park in Auckland. The two-match Test series between Team India and New Zealand will begin from November 19 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

Recently, the “Men in Blue” concluded the five-match T20I series against the West Indies. Both teams shared the honours as rain abandoned the fifth match in Bengaluru.

India’s Test squad for series against New Zealand

Shubman Gill [C], Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul [VC], Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant [WK]*, Dhruv Jurel [WK], Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.

(With ANI Inputs)

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