India win toss, elect to bat on a pitch expected to crack

Kanpur, Nov 25: India won the toss and opted to bat first on a pitch against New Zealand in the first Test match at Green Park Stadium here on Thursday.

After calling the toss rightly, Team India Captain Ajinkya Rahane opted to bat first on a pitch which is expected to be good for batting early on, but crack up as the match progresses.

There already are prominent cracks on the pitch and edges look wobbly. These cracks are expected to help spinners to turn the ball and pacers get reverse swing going their way.

Speaking at the toss, Rahane said the Test match is an opportunity for all the players to do well here and in Mumbai, in the absence of senior players.

He also said the players are excited to play under the new coaching staff, especially Head Coach Rahul Dravid, whom he personally enjoys playing under.

After losing the toss, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said the team would have batted first, but it is important for them to take early wickets.

Williamson has opted for two spinners Ajaz Patel and Will Somerville, and two pacers and a spinning all-rounder debut in Rachin Ravindra.

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tom Latham, Will Young, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell(w), Rachin Ravindra, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, Kyle Jamieson, William Somerville.