India vs New Zealand Live Score 1st Test Day 1: Throw delayed due to rain

India vs New Zealand Live Score 1st Test Day 1: Relentless rain has cast doubt on the possibility of a match on the first day.

India come into this clash with a strong winning streak in Test cricket. The 2-0 series win against Bangladesh extended their winning streak to six matches in the format, thereby bowing out of the T20 World Cup in what has been a fantastic year for the team so far.

Things were going well for India, led by captain Rohit Sharma and young superstar Yashasvi Jaiswal. The old guard delivered consistently with the ball, with Akash Deep also being a revelation with his pace.

The return of Rishabh Pant has also been a huge boost for India, who have shown the technical know-how to deliver long and patient innings as well as the creativity to deliver faster and more destructive innings.

On the other hand, things didn't go quite so smoothly for New Zealand. While they opened the year with a strong performance at home against a rotating South African team, they were later defeated 2-0 when they hosted Australia for the first time in several years.

Their problems would only get worse as they were superior in all areas on their recent tour of Sri Lanka, losing comfortably to Kamindu Mendis specials in both games.

While New Zealand expect their batting order to do well over the course of this three-match series, their bigger concern will be whether their spin attack can be strong enough to bring about a turnaround in fortunes compared to the last visit to India. Ajaz Patel, who took 10 wickets in an innings on the last tour, will once again be part of the touring party.

Rachin Ravindra will be an integral part of the batting team and will mark a return to the subcontinent after his incredibly successful run in the ODI World Cup in 2023. He will be ably supported by players like Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell, who are excellent spin players and will add an extra dimension to the Kiwis.

The series will also have two important aspects for India going forward. With their win against Bangladesh in Kanpur, India are now three wins away from securing a place in the final of the World Test Championships. A whitewash in the series would mean India can sit back relatively relaxed, knowing they deserve a place in the final at Lord's next year.

Secondly, one eye will be on the massive five-Test series that begins in Australia in November, with retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy a key goal for Gautam Gambhir's men. This series will serve as a warm-up exercise of sorts against a very capable opponent and India will be looking to put all the pieces of the puzzle together as they prepare for the trip Down Under.

With there being a lot to play for and the Kiwis being known for being spoilsports against India, it promises to be a blockbuster series.