Aakash Chopra picks Indian team probable Playing XI for 1st Test against New Zealand

Former Indian cricketer and now a commentator and a analyst, Aakash Chopra has picked probable Indian team for the 1st against New Zealand in Kanpur on the 25th of November.

Indian cricket team completed a clean sweep over the New Zealand team in the T20I series, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma.

Up next for India is the 2 match Test series against the same opposition, beginning from the 25th of November in Kanpur. However, Indian team has been dealt with a blow before the match as KL Rahul has been ruled out prior to the series.

While the senior players like Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah have been given rest for the series, while Virat Kohli has given rest for the 1st and will turn up for the 2nd Test in Mumbai. Ajinkya Rahane will captain the team in absence of Kohli.

And with just a day away from the first match, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has picked the probable Playing XI for the Indian team for the 1st Test.

Chopra in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, picked the team. He went with Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill as opener given that KL Rahul has been ruled out.

There were talks that Gill might play in middle-order while Mayank and Rahul will open the inning, but with Rahul getting injured, the whole scenario has changed.

Chopra build the middle-order with experienced campaigners Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane at number 3 and 4 respectively. Shreyas Iyer then comes after them at number 5.

He went with only 5 proper batsmen. Next, he picked Ravindra Jadeja and wicketkeeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha at number 6 and 7. He picked 2 All-Rounders in the team in the form of experienced player Ravichandran Ashwin and India's hero from the England Test series, Axar Patel at 8 and 9 respectively.

The two pacers he picked are Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj getting the nod ahead of more experienced Ishant Sharma. Chopra believes that they will get the ball to reverse swing more than Ishant Sharma.

Indian cricket team will play the New Zealand cricket team in a 2 match Test series starting of with the first Test from the 25th November in Kanpur. The 2nd Test will be played in Mumbai from 3rd December. Both the matches are as part of the World Test Championship 2021-2023 cycle.

Aakash Chopra's India Playing XI

Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj