India announces squad for New Zealand series
The top ranked Indian test team has announced a powerful squad for the three match test series against New Zealand that starts on 4th November at Ahmadabad.
Fresh from whitewashing the formidable Aussies in a two match test series, the Indians are brimming with confidence and would be the overwhelming favourites once the series gets underway.
The tourists would have to do all the running in the contest that is set to challenge them to no ends as they recover from a harrowing 4-0 loss to Bangladesh in an ODI series.
With the nightmare against the Bangladeshis having just ended, the series against the Indians could not have been scheduled at a worse time as another thrashing would knock the wind out of the Kiwi sails barely three months before the World Cup.
The Indian selectors had some easy choices to make as the injured trio of Gautam Gambhir, Ishant Sharma and the architect of the famous win in the opening test against Australia VVS Laxman were declared fit for selection.
Their replacements did an outstanding job in the second match of the series against Australia especially the two young batsmen Murali Vijay and C Pujara who were without a doubt the shining stars for India.
Vijay scored his maiden test hundred in India’s first innings at Bangalore while Pujara who was making his test debut in the match, conquered the Aussies with a stroke filled 70 odd in the second innings. This enabled the hosts to coast through a potentially
tricky chase in flying Indian colours.
The rest of the team is the same that was all over Australia in the second test. The batting line-up is easily the best in the world with Sehwag, Tendulkar, Laxman and Dravid easing in as four of the best modern batsmen.
Gambhir is also a proven international performer while Vijay and Pujara have already proved their mettle to score big runs against the very best in the world.
They are backed by their icy cool captain MS Dhoni who has transformed the Indians into the best test team in the world.
The bowling line-up is also in good form, led by Zaheer Khan the pace battery is supplemented by the swing of Sreesanth coupled with the pace and bounce of the lanky Ishant Sharma.
Sharma played a crucial role in the Mohali win, the right armer took some crucial wickets besides scoring an invaluable 30 odd to steer the hosts to an improbable win.
The hosts needed 92 runs to win with only their last two wickets standing when Sharma joined Laxman and guided his team through a nervy one wicket win.
Whilst the pace department looks to have a settled look, the Indian spinners are equally if not more dangerous.
Led by Harbhajan Singh the hosts have in their armoury left armer Pragyan Ojha and Amit Mishra. Ojha has made a promising start to his international career; he was impressive in the series against Sri Lanka and further honed his skills in the series against
Australia.
Mishra has struggled to keep his place in the test eleven, yet he has the potential to become one of the mainstays of the attack.
The spinners are set to send the inexperienced tourists in a spin on wickets that are conducive to their kind of bowling.
All in all the series looks to be lopsided in India’s favour, with the current form of the two teams even a test win would be nothing less than a miracle for the Black Caps.
India: MS Dhoni (capt), Virender Sehwag (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Cheteshwar Pujara, M Vijay, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Sreesanth, Pragyan Ojha, Amit Mishra
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