Following a great performance of 2-0 in the test and T20I series, Team India is set for a 5-0 mission by aiming to win the remaining 3 matches of their home test series this year. Rohit Sharma and his men are striving to maintain the leading position in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023–25 points table by achieving a clinical victory in the upcoming 3-match test series against New Zealand.
The Indian cricket team continues with the same squad as in the Bangladesh test series, with the only difference that Akash Deep replacing Yash Dayal.
On the other side, New Zealand, after facing a humiliating whitewash in the red ball series against Sri Lanka with 0-2, has six more test matches to improve their rankings in the WTC points table. But, it would be a challenging task for the Kiwis to bounce back from the 6th position in the points table to win their remaining matches with a huge margin.
However, the weather conditions in Bengaluru might prompt India to find themselves in the same situation as in the Kanpur test played against Bangladesh, with rain posing a huge threat to interrupt the game frequently. Comparing the two venues, the pitch conditions and the toss outcome are expected to vary.
As a cricket fan, you might be curious to know the schedule, venue, live-streaming, and broadcasting details of the upcoming clash.
This preview will certainly provide answers to your questions as well as highlight the key milestones that the players could accomplish in the high-voltage clash. Let’s find out the head-to-head stats of IND vs NZ in test cricket to predict the playing XI combination and the winner of the forthcoming match.
Schedule and Venue for IND vs NZ 1st Test Match, 2024
Here is the schedule and venue for IND vs NZ 1st test match tabulated below:
| EVENT | DATE and DAY | TIME | VENUE |
| India vs New Zealand 1st Test Match | 16th October (Wednesday) to 20th October 2024 (Sunday) | 4:00 am GMT 9:30 am Local (IST) | Mangalam Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Known as Karnataka State Cricket Association Stadium. |
Important Milestones to be Achieved during India vs New Zealand 1st Test Match 2024
These are the players who are on the verge of achieving crucial milestones during the first test match between India and New Zealand:
| Player | Nation | Milestone |
| Virat Kohli | INDIA | 53 runs to achieve 9,000 runs in test cricket A century to accomplish 30 test hundreds to surpass Don Bradman’s record (29 centuries) |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | INDIA | 4 more sixes to achieve the most number of sixes in the test cricket calendar |
| Rohit Sharma | INDIA | 2 more hundreds to complete 50 centuries in international cricket. |
| Rishabh Pant | INDIA | 68 runs to reach 2,500 runs in test cricket |
| KL Rahul | INDIA | 31 runs to reach 3,000 test runs |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | INDIA | 77 runs to accomplish 3,000 runs in test cricket |
| Tom Blundell | NEW ZEALAND | 128 runs to complete 2,000 test runs |
| Matt Henry | NEW ZEALAND | 5 wickets to reach 100 test wickets. |
Complete Squad List: India vs New Zealand 3-match Test Series
Here is the complete list of India and New Zealand’s 15-member squad you need to know:
INDIA 15-MEMBER SQUAD:
| S.NO | PLAYER NAME | ROLE |
| 1. | Rohit Sharma (CAPTAIN) | Batsman |
| 2. | Virat Kohli | Batsman |
| 3. | Shubman Gill | Batsman |
| 4. | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Batsman |
| 5. | Sarfaraz Khan | Batsman |
| 6. | Axar Patel | Bowling All-Rounder |
| 7. | Ravichandran Ashwin | Bowling All-Rounder |
| 8. | Ravindra Jadeja | Bowling All-Rounder |
| 9. | Rishabh Pant | Batsman and wicket-keeper |
| 10. | KL Rahul | Batsman and wicket-keeper |
| 11. | Dhruv Jurel | Batsman and wicket-keeper |
| 12. | Mohammed Siraj | Bowler |
| 13. | Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler |
| 14. | Jasprit Bumrah | Bowler |
| 15. | Akash Deep | Bowler |
Players such as Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav, and Prasidh Krishna are named under traveling reserves.
NEW ZEALAND 15-MEMBER SQUAD:
| S.No | PLAYER NAME | ROLE |
| 1. | Mark Chapman | Batsman |
| 2. | Glenn Phillips | Batsman |
| 3. | Will Young | Batsman |
| 4. | Michael Bracewell (available only for 1st test) | Batting All-rounder |
| 5. | Daryl Mitchell | Batting All-rounder |
| 6. | Rachin Ravindra | Batting All-rounder |
| 7. | Mitchel Santner | Batting All-rounder |
| 8. | Tom Latham (CAPTAIN) | Batsman and wicket-keeper |
| 9. | Tom Blundell | Batsman and wicket-keeper |
| 10. | Devon Conway | Batsman and wicket-keeper |
| 11. | Matt Henry | Bowler |
| 12. | William ORourke | Bowler |
| 13. | Tim Southee | Bowler |
| 14. | Ajaz Patel | Bowler |
| 15. | Jacob Duffy | Bowler |
| 16. | Ish Sodhi (available for 2nd and 3rd Test only) | Bowler |
Weather Conditions in Bengaluru for IND vs NZ 1st Test Match, 2024
According to the recently obtained weather report, it is said that the IND vs NZ match could be affected by rain on the first day, i.e., on 16th October 2024.
In addition, the overhead conditions are cool, so visitors might take some time to settle down completely. The pitch will remain fully covered before the first day of the Test series.
However, the surroundings including the stadium experiencing early moisture, and if it continues to be like this, the teams might be forced to have second thoughts about alternate pace options.
Here is a detailed weather report for M. Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, Bengaluru on 16th October 2024:
| Temperature | 20 °C |
| Wind | 6 Kilometer/hour |
| Humidity | 97% |
| Rain | 7.9 Millimeters (Will increase to 8.9 mm from 9:00 am to 1 pm) |
| Cloud | 100% |
| Pressure | 1010 Millibars |
Pitch Conditions and Toss Outcome for India vs New Zealand 1st Test Match 2024
Generally, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is considered to have a good surface favorable to the batsman. From the earlier matches played in this stadium, it is evident that batsmen can play good strokes here, particularly while batting second. So, it is expected that the toss-winning captain would decide to bowl first so that the batters find it easy to chase targets on a damp surface that has slight grass covered on it.
On the other hand, this pitch is said to be favorable for the seamers and spinners during Test matches. Perhaps, India might prefer a combination of three spinners and two pacers in the bowling lineup, while New Zealand has the chance to opt for more fast bowlers.
But, you need to know that the pitch was earlier tagged poor during the test match against Sri Lanka, which was indeed the last day-night test match (pink ball test) India hosted. The hosts won by an innings and a huge margin of 238 runs.
Highest Test Score ever in M. Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, Bengaluru:
In 2007, India scored 626 runs in the first innings against Pakistan, which is said to be the highest test score ever in M. Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, Bengaluru.
Lowest Test Score ever in M. Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, Bengaluru:
In 2018, Afghanistan was all-out scoring just 103 runs against India, Where Ravindra Jadeja took 4 wickets and Umesh Yadav bagged 3 wickets. And, this score of Afghanistan against India in the Test is said to be the lowest test score ever in M. Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, Bengaluru.
Head-to-Head Stats for India vs New Zealand in Tests
These are the fascinating head-to-head stats of India vs New Zealand in test cricket, all you need to know:
| IND vs NZ Overall test matches played | 62 |
| Matches Won by India | 22 |
| Matches won by New Zealand | 13 |
| Draw Matches | 27 |
| No Result Games | 0 |
| India’s winnings at home | 17 |
| India’s winnings away | 5 |
| New Zealand winnings at home | 10 |
| New Zealand winnings away | 2 |
| Winnings at Neutral Venue | India: 0, New Zealand: 1 |
| Highest Total | New Zealand in 2014: 680-8 (declared) in 210 overs |
| Lowest Total | New Zealand in 2021: 62-10 in 28.1 overs |
| Leading Run Scorer in IND vs NZ Tests | Rahul Dravid (INDIA): 1,659 runs in 15 matches. |
| Leading Wicket Taker | Ravichandran Ashwin (INDIA): 66 wickets in 9 matches |
| Highest Individual Score | Brendon McCullum (NEW ZEALAND): 302 runs from 559 balls (including 32 fours and 4 sixes) |
| Best Bowling Figures | Ajaz Patel (INDIA): 119-10 in 2021. |
Expected Playing XI for India vs New Zealand 1st Test Match, 2024
Possibly, you can expect these players from India and New Zealand to be a part of playing XI for the first test match:
Team India Possible Playing XI Lineup:
| S.No | Player | Role | Batting / Bowling Style |
| 1. | Rohit Sharma (captain) | Batsman | Right-handed |
| 2. | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Batsman | Left-handed |
| 3. | Shubman Gill | Batsman | Right-handed |
| 4. | Virat Kohli | Batsman | Right-handed |
| 5. | Rishabh Pant | Batsman and wicketkeeper | Left-handed |
| 6. | KL Rahul | Batsman | Right-handed |
| 7. | Ravichandran Ashwin | All-rounder | Right-handed batsman & Right-arm off-spinner |
| 8. | Ravindra Jadeja | All-rounder | Left-handed batsman & Left-arm orthodox-spinner |
| 9. | Kuldeep Yadav | Bowler | Left-arm wrist-spinner |
| 10. | Jasprit Bumrah | Bowler | Right-arm pacer |
| 11. | Mohammed Siraj | Bowler | Right-arm medium pacer |
New Zealand Possible Playing XI Lineup:
| S.No | Player | Role | Batting / Bowling Style |
| 1. | Tom Latham (Captain) | Batsman | Left-handed |
| 2. | Devon Conway | Batsman | Left-handed |
| 3. | Will Young | Batsman | Right-handed |
| 4. | Michael Bracewell | All-rounder | Left-handed batsman & Right-arm off-spinner |
| 5. | Daryl Mitchell | All-rounder | Right-handed batsman & Right-arm medium pacer |
| 6. | Rachin Ravindra | All-rounder | Left-handed batsman & Left-arm orthodox-spinner |
| 7. | Tom Blundell | Batsman and wicketkeeper | Right-handed |
| 8. | Tim Southee | Bowler | Right-arm medium pacer |
| 9. | Ajaz Patel | Bowler | Left-arm orthodox-spinner |
| 10. | Matt Henry | Bowler | Right-arm medium pacer |
| 11. | William ORourke | Bowler | Right-arm medium pacer |
Where to Watch IND vs NZ 1st Test Match? Live Streaming and Broadcasting Details
Here are the details of Live Streaming and Broadcasting for the residents of India and New Zealand to watch the 1st Test Match of IND vs NZ:
INDIA:
Broadcasting on Channels:
- Sports18
- Colors Cineplex
- Sports18 1 SD
- Sports18 1 HD
Live Streaming on:
- JioCinema
NEW ZEALAND:
Broadcasting on Channels:
- Sky Sport
Live Streaming on:
- Sky Go (Sky Sport’s official Streaming service)
Winner Prediction for India vs New Zealand 1st Test Match 2024
Based on the current performances, it is understood that India has a higher chance of winning the first test match taking advantage of the home pitch conditions against New Zealand, who have been performing poorly since the T20 World Cup 2024.
Analyzing the above stats it becomes evident that India has shown their dominance over New Zealand by winning 17 test matches at home.
Additionally, it is a big blow for the Kiwis as Kane Williamson misses out on the test series due to a groin injury and Will Young is appointed as his replacement. Compared to their previous test series squad, Ben Sears misses out on grabbing his spot, while Mark Chapman and Jacob Duffy find themselves a part of this test series.
However, the visitors after facing back-to-back losses to Sri Lanka are expected to bounce back with a fierce performance against the table toppers of the WTC 2023-25. Ultimately, the electrifying contest between the two powerhouses in test cricket is certain to entertain the fans excluding the first day which could be severely affected by rains