Wellington Firebirds all-rounder Rachin Ravindra has become the youngest New Zealand Test debutant since Ish Sodhi (Bangladesh, 2013), as New Zealand was asked to bowl in the first Test against India in Kanpur.
The 22-year-old will wear Test cap number 282 and bat at seven in a spin strong bowling line-up featuring Ajaz Patel, Will Somerville and pacemen Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson.
Ravindra was presented his Test cap by Firebirds teammate Tom Blundell who has taken over the Test wicket-keeping gloves after BJ Watling's retirement.
Will Young will open the batting in the absence of the injured Devon Conway. The match is the first for the BLACKCAPS in the new ICC World Test Championship cycle.
In the first Test, Ajinkya Rahane will be leading India in regular skipper Virat Kohli's absence and with Rahul now missing, it will be all about Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara rising to the challenge in the middle-order.
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: Kane Williamson (capt), Tom Blundell, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Will Somerville, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Will Young
( With inputs from ANI )
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