IND vs NZ 2021: This Will Be A New Partnership Between Rahul Dravid And Virat Kohli: Irfan Pathan

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan said that there will be a new partnership between Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid as India’s two-match Test series against New Zealand starts on Thursday.

Indian cricket team shifts its focus to the two-match Test series against New Zealand after drubbing them 3-0 in the T20I series. The team has started preparing for the first game at the Greenpark Stadium in Kanpur.

Rahul Dravid doesn’t change the system much: Irfan Pathan

This will be the first Test series for Dravid, who took over the reins from Ravi Shastri as India’s head coach, who will also get to test the players and get the right combination for the future.

Irfan feels that this will be a new partnership between Dravid and Kohli since the two played together for RCB and the Indian team.

“This will be a new partnership between Rahul Dravid as well as Virat Kohli, the captain. Especially in the longer format, I don’t see any problem because Rahul Dravid is the kind of guy who likes to come into the system, he doesn’t change the system much,” Irfan Pathan said on Star Sports.

“One thing is for sure, there will be a great understanding and communication in this partnership, along with this youth players will be given as much importance as a senior player gets in the team,” he added.

Ajinkya Rahane to lead India in the first Test

Keeping the workload of players in mind, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has rested some senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and frontline bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.

Ajinkya Rahane will lead India in the first Test against New Zealand, with Cheteshwar Pujara named his deputy.

Mumbai batter Shreyas Iyer will be making his debut in Test, as confirmed by Rahane in his press conference on Wednesday.

Also Read: Watch: India Head Coach Rahul Dravid Bowls Off-Spin In Nets Ahead Of 1st Test vs New Zealand