India vs New Zealand Highlights, 1st Test, Day 1: Day Called Off Without Toss Due To Rain In Bengaluru

The official confirmation is here. As rain shows no signs of stopping, the Day 1 of the first Test between India and New Zealand has been called-off. The players and fans will now hope for some cricketing action on Day 2. 

It looked like the covers were coming off in Bengaluru but the rain returns and the hope of any play goes away. The toss has not taken place till now and if the rain continues, we can lose the entire day.

The covers are static on the ground at the M Chinnaswamy stadium as it's drizzling again. We are slowly approaching towards the end of the day as there are no signs of rain stopping. However, we need to wait for the official confirmation from the match referee and other officials. 

A good news coming from Bengaluru that the rain has stopped. The ground staff of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium will be out in sometime for inspection. Stay tuned as we will be bringing you the latest updates from the ground. 

With no toss due to heavy rain, the first session on Day 1 of the first Test between India and New Zealand comes to an end. The early lunch has been taken and after 40 minutes, the second session will begin. The rain is getting heavier and the chances of play are slowly diminishing. 

As per the current visuals coming-in, the rain has eased down in Bengaluru. However, the covers are still on at M Chinnaswamy Stadium and there's has been no confirmation about the starting of the match. Stay tuned for all the live updates.

After 0-2 against Sri Lanka in a two-match series, the New Zealand cricket team aims for redemption against India. Under the leadership of veteran pacer Tim Southee, New Zealand lost against Sri Lanka. However, their road to redemption will be shaky one as they are up against one of the toughest sides, i.e. India. The hosts are in red-hot form and claiming a win against them will be a daunting task.  

As per the current visuals coming from the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, few members of the Indian team can be seen walking across the ground presumably to get to the indoor nets, under the cover of umbrellas. Virat Kohli was followed by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Abhishek Nayar.

This three-match series against New Zealand at home will act as an important rehearsal for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. This edition of the BGT will kick-start from November 22 in Perth. Playing in Down Under is a daunting task but Team India has emerged victorious in their previous two outings. The fans around the world are eagerly waiting to behold this cut-throat rivalry between the two teams. 

All-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin showed his true mettle and stood up for India in the first Test against Bangladesh. With the bat, he hammered 113 runs, followed by a six-wicket haul in the second innings. He also bagged the Player of the Series award for his brilliant performance. In the three-match Test series against New Zealand, Ashwin will be a big key for India. 

OHH HOOO!!! Another bad news coming in as the rain in Bengaluru has been getting heavier. There are so signs of a clear weather and the players are seen standing in the dressing room. The ground is covered and the officials are eagerly waiting for the rain to stop. This match will be crucial for the World Test Championship final. 

India has only minor concerns, but New Zealand's troubles across batting and bowling departments are more pronounced. Their batsmen struggled copiously against Sri Lankan spinners recently while losing an away series 0-2, and here they will have to negate two modern-day greats in Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. They took 20 wickets together against Bangladesh and with the Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch expected to give some assistance to spinners, the veterans might be itching to have a bowl here.

New Zealand are playing without their star batter Kane Williamson, who has been out due to an injury. Under the captaincy of Tom Latham, the Blackcaps will aim to break India's Test win record at home . New Zealand attack has capable hands in pacers Matt Henry, William O'Rourke and the experienced Tim Southee, if he gets to play here after a sharp decline in his form. This one will be an interesting battle. 

Rohit Sharma, who has played 15 innings this year, has made two hundreds but managed only one fifty in the remaining 13, totaling 497 runs in eight Tests at just over 35. Virat Kohli, 53 runs shy of 9000 Test runs, has not made even a fifty in six innings this year, and while Rohit often perishes in his attempt to grab the momentum, his colleague offers a much more curious case. The 35-year-old Kohli has not been able to convert the two starts he got this year, ending up with 46 (vs SA) and 47 (vs Bangladesh), stirring the uncomfortable memories of that great slump between 2019 and 2023.

Shubman Gill's last 10 innings are dotted with three hundreds and two fifties, while Yashasvi Jaiswal's last eight outings in Test cricket feature a 214 and five fifties. Those numbers are not to be scoffed at. But at the same time, it is important for them to build on the foundation through this series, a precursor to the much tougher journey to Australia next month. Gill seems to have sorted his issues with the in-coming deliveries from pacers, but a trace of the old failing still remains. In Chennai, Bangladesh pacer Hasan Mahamud troubled him with nip-backers before eventually grabbing his wicket. Similarly, Jaiswal has a penchant to go for expansive shots against pace bowlers to get dismissed, evidenced by his three dismissals recently against Bangladesh quicks.

While the line-up looked settled, an India Today report said that Shubman Gill is feeling pain on his shoulder and neck. If Gill does not play, there might be some problem in having a settled XI. However, here's our Predicted XI of India for the first Test against New Zealand. 

The rain is still on in Bengaluru and the toss for the first Test between India and New Zealand has been delayed. The players, the fans, and everyone is waiting for the rain to stop, in order to get some thrilling cricket action. 

Ohh!!! There's a bad news coming from Bengaluru that the city is facing some rainfall. As per the current visual, the covers are on at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, in order to protect the pitch. With that, the toss has been delayed and the wait continues. Stay tuned for all the live updates. 

As per a report by India Today, young batter Shubman Gill is currently suffering through a stiff neck. There are questions regarding his participation in the first Test against New Zealand. If Gill misses out, then it's a golden opportunity for batter Sarfaraz Khan to get included in the Playing XI. 

Team India will be coming to this series after registering a massive clean sweep against Bangladesh in a recently-concluded two-match Test series. Rohit Sharma and co claimed comfortable wins over Bangladesh and are high on momentum. The hosts will now look to replicate the same magic against the mighty Kiwis, in order to prepare for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. 

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Day 1 of the first Test between India and New Zealand, straight from M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Stay tuned for all the live updates.