Indian cricket is in suspended animation, and as long as they don’t make too many radical moves to set it right, they should be alright. But for the moment, it’s a discomfort worth savouring for a lot remains to be discovered.
In this state of flux, Ajinkya Rahane’s India come face to face with Kane Williamson’s New Zealand for the opening Test at the ironically named Green Park stadium in Kanpur, starting Thursday.
While the ground is a throwback with its giant tree in the stands, open press box and tacky paint scheme, the outfield looks tired already and the pitch looks like layers of hay piled on to create the illusion of a turf. Everything looks half-done and about as rusty as one would expect a venue to be if it hasn't hosted a Test match since 2016, which Kanpur hasn't.
Gary Stead, the Kiwi coach, was understandably displeased with the conditions on offer. Ajinkya Rahane, who attended the pre-match press conference on Wednesday, played it off as ‘home advantage’.
Rahane’s right. Pitches in New Zealand wouldn’t be shaved to a nub out of some misplaced feeling of hospitality for teams from the sub-continent. They would try and achieve a balance though. That’s hardly the case in Kanpur.
So, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel will get to bare their fangs. Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel and possibly Will Somerville will look to counter it.
As for the other bowlers, a glance at the pitch makes you wonder if they will at all matter.
Sure, India have an expert pace crew in Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj, all of whom are good at home. That said, it will be interesting to see if Karnataka paceman Prasidh Krishna gets his Test cap in coach Rahul Dravid’s search for fresh(er) options.
Also Read | Dravid's first major test awaits him in Kanpur
New Zealand have their pack in Tim Southee and Neil Wagner, and the two have done well in the sub-continent, especially the latter.
It’s likely then that a two-pacer-three-spinner bowling combo will feature for both sides. But that turns into an unforeseen problem for India because their already soft middle-order only gets softer.
Having lost KL Rahul to an injury, India will have to push Shubman Gill to the opener’s slot and bring in Shreyas Iyer to plug some of the middle-order concerns. Iyer, Rahane confirmed, will be making his debut.
Inadvertently, this has turned out to be another cruel touch to the Hanuma Vihari tale. Vihari, who was packed off with the India A side to South Africa, now has to watch his spot taken up by a debutant best known for his T20 acumen, while he himself has done everything right to proclaim that position his own.
In contrast to India’s vulnerable batting line-up, New Zealand have a typically understated set of batters with Kane Williamson as the poster child. There’s a calm to the side when it comes to executing on their skills, but their ability to adapt will be tested soon.
Surely, it will be about as hard a challenge for them as it was in 2016 when they were swept 0-3, but the Kiwis have since become World Test champions and have played on slow, low surfaces consistently enough. If all that experience amounts to anything or not will be evident soon.
As for India, it’s a new chapter with a new writer at the desk, and Dravid’s opening Test script will shed some light on the story to come.
Team (from): India: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Suryakumar Yadav, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Md Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt), Tom Blundell (wk), Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Will Somerville, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Will Young, Neil Wagner.
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