India will begin their New Zealand tour with the first T20I at Hagley Oval on Thursday. Both teams have powerful batters who can score quickly and put the opposition under pressure. India will look to make a strong start to the series with their explosive batting lineup. Captain Shreyas Iyer will want his top order to perform well from the beginning and put pressure on New Zealand. The return of experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar after four years is another major talking point. The hosts have several dangerous batters, including Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips, who can change the game with their attacking approach. Captain Mitchell Santner will hope his team performs better after their heavy defeat to India in the T20 World Cup final.
Hagley Oval Pitch Report
The pitch at Hagley Oval in Christchurch is generally helpful for fast bowlers, particularly when the weather is overcast. The presence of breeze and moisture in the air can help swing bowlers trouble batters during the early overs. However, batting can become easier as the match progresses and the pitch settles down. Both teams are likely to rely on their pace attacks, as the conditions may offer more assistance to fast bowlers than spinners.
Head-to-Head Record
Total matches played: 33
India won: 19
New Zealand won: 11
No result: 3
Probable Playing XIs
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy.
India: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav.