Rohit Sharma Looking For Fresh Start Against New Zealand By Keeping WTC Final In Mind, Says, 'We Want To Put Runs On Board'

IND vs NZ, 1st Test: India skipper Rohit Sharma has reckoned that they are aiming for a fresh start against New Zealand by keeping the 2023-25 WTC final in mind. He reckoned that they are riding high on confidence on the back of their last Test series win, which will help them to retain their position of table topper in the WTC ranking. India won the toss and chose to bat first on Day 2 of the series opener in Bengaluru after the first day was washed out due to incessant rain. The Indian skipper also revealed that their main aim is to get a result despite the first day getting washed out due to rain. The Men in Blue brought in two changes in their playing XI, by including Kuldeep Yadav and Sarfaraz Khan.

"[The pitch has] been under the covers for a couple of days, and we do understand it will be sticky to start with. Keeping that in mind, we wanted to put runs on the board. Look, it's a tricky one because you lose the entire day and have four days to play. A lot can happen over the four days as well, and you want to get the result as much as possible. The last few Tests we played, we played well, and we can get confidence from that and the table looks brilliant. We assess where we are and decide what needs to be done as a team. We have played well in the last few Test matches. A fresh series for us and we want to start well. From the last Test, two changes: Gill misses out, not 100%, so Sarfaraz comes in and Kuldeep in for Akash Deep," Rohit told broadcasters at the toss.

India's changes for the first Test

The Tom Latham-led side included two pacers, whereas the hosts went for two pacers, like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. The Indian team management picked three spinners, where Kuldeep Yadav pipped Axar Patel along with R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Shubman Gill would be giving this match a miss as he is suffering from a stiff neck. Sarfaraz Khan would be replacing him, who recently scored a double century while playing for Mumbai in Irani Cup. He would be batting at the No.5 position.

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Teams:

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tom Latham(c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell(w), Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William ORourke

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.