Three Reasons Why India Could Win New Zealand Test Series

For some time now, India has been dominating the Test format, no matter which team they play against. Virat Kohli’s troops have found their rhythm in the longer format of cricket, while the squad looks very balanced.

Indian openers have been scoring runs consistently, and so has been the skipper Kohli himself. The bowling unit has been doing fairly well, as India have a mix of both youth and experience in the bowling attack. Hanuma Vihari as an all-rounder has been doing a good job.

If the Men in Blue work in tandem with each other, batsmen and bowlers both contribute to the cause, India can surely win the upcoming Test series versus New Zealand.

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India were able to win the T20I series by a 5-0 margin, but the Kiwis made a stunning comeback by blanking India 0-3 in the ODI series.

Not only is it imperative for India to win the Test series and end their New Zealand tour with momentum, but they will also look to solidify their grip at the top of ICC Test Championship. Also, we’ve listed five Indian players to watch out for in the impending Test series.

Here, are the three reasons why we feel that team India will win the Test series in New Zealand:

1) Virat Kohli’s past record in New Zealand:

The Indian skipper Virat Kohli has indeed struggled in the previous T20I and ODI series versus the hosts. But if you take a look at history, stats reveal that the 31-year-old has an average of over 71 on New Zealand soil.

It is an emphatic achievement, and his career stats are all the more impressive. The Indian captain has played 141 Tests for the Indian team, in which he averages at 54.98 and has scored 7202 runs so far.

This includes the seven double centuries Kohli has scored, which is the fourth-highest for any cricketer in history. His highest score in Test cricket stands at 254* and if the right-handed batsman indeed finds his lost form against New Zealand, it will be big trouble for the hosts.

In short, for India to win this Test series, Kohli will have to rise to the occasion.

2) The experience will be the X-Factor for Team India:

For Team India to be able to win in New Zealand, the batsmen must play according to the conditions there. This is where the experienced players of the Indian team will play a crucial role.

India will count on seasoned professionals such as Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami to turn the tide in India’s favour.

Eight out of eleven players from the Indian team can be deemed as experienced players, which automatically increases the visiting team’s chances of winning the Test series.

This could be another big reason why the Men in Blue will triumph against New Zealand and have the last laugh.

3) Indian fast bowlers can be the game-changer:

Virat Kohli’ men will be without seasoned campaigners such as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma for the Test series versus New Zealand, but in their absence, the bowling unit still looks sharp.

Fast bowlers can be the game-changer in Tests, as Umesh Yadav looks all the more confident in the year 2020. India will have an X-factor in terms of Navdeep Saini, the young pacer will add a new dynamic to the squad.

Mohammad Shami has looked impressive on this tour and will be motivated to win his place back in the playing XI.

All these pointers indicate that the Indian pacers will have a key role against the Black Caps. They will be crucial to India’s prospects of winning the Test series on New Zealand soil.