Weather Forecast In Bengaluru: The Indian cricket team will be hosting New Zealand for an exciting three-match Test series, which will kick off on October 16 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. However, there is a huge threat of rain to this match and it could play spoilsport.
Both teams are coming off contrasting results in their last Test series. While India thrashed Bangladesh 2-0, New Zealand were whitewashed by the same margin in Sri Lanka.
Further, while India sit at the top of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) standings, the Black Caps are sixth and are all but out of the race for the final. India, meanwhile, will want to win this series 3-0, which would make them feel safe about their WTC final prospects before they fly to Australia for a five-match Test series.
However, they may lose some points if the Bengaluru Test gets washed out or ends in a draw due to rain.
Check Out: IND vs NZ 1st Test Dream11 Prediction
IND vs NZ: Weather Forecast In Bengaluru For Day 1 Of 1st India vs New Zealand Test, October 16
The weather for October 16, Wednesday, in Bengaluru is grim. Forecast suggests that the entire day will remain overcast with clouds hovering over the city throughout, and rain would make its appearance at 1 PM and then later in the evening. There is a 51% chance of rain in the afternoon in Bengaluru on Wednesday. So that would interrupt the IND vs NZ 1st Test.
Day 2 of this Test faces an even greater threat as there is a 70% chance of rain in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Rain had washed out India’s training session in the morning on Tuesday as well.
The government has issued a yellow alert in many places in the state of Karnataka. Karnataka has experienced plenty of rainfall in the last week. There was rain throughout Monday night and Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, this could force India to continue with three seamers as they did in both Tests against Bangladesh. Generally, in home conditions, India go with three spinners and two seamers. However, against Bangladesh, with good surfaces with grass on it in Chennai and Kanpur, and with rain around, India went with three pacers and won.
Given the conditions are overcast in Bengaluru this week and the pitch could be damp, India may stick to the same combination.
For New Zealand, there is a bigger worry as their best batsman and former captain Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the first Test due to a groin strain. They have also lost the services of pacer Ben Sears due to a knee injury.
India vs New Zealand squads for Test series:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep
New Zealand: Tom Latham (C), Tom Blundell, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Will Young, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson (out of first Test, subject to fitness for rest of the series)
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