Back in 1932, Mumbai (then Bombay) had hosted the first ever Test in India. And after a five-year hiatus, Test cricket is set to return to Mumbai. Ajaz Patel will return too, to his place of birth. So will Rachin Ravindra, to the home of Sachin Tendulkar, who has lent Ravindra half his first name. The other half of the name came from Rahul Dravid, the Indian head coach who played his 100th Test match (that too as captain) at the same Mumbai venue.
New Zealand return to Mumbai to play a Test match after 33 years. The last time they played here, they won – and are yet to win in India since. There is no reason they, now the top-ranked Test team, cannot repeat the result they achieved in 1988/89 in the 100th Test match of the then Indian captain, Dilip Vengsarkar, also a Mumbaikar.
Trivia: Indian captain Virat Kohli was born in the same month as that Mumbai Test match that India had won. Kane Williamson was not even planned.
Out of all the returns to Mumbai, the most talked about are those of Kohli and unexpected rains. While the latter may not play a spoilsport, the former’s arrival has left the team management in a dilemma.
Trivia: The last time Kohli batted in a Wankhede Test, he slammed 235 against England in the 2016/17.
Will the Mumbai stalwart Ajinkya Rahane, who led in Kanpur, make way for Kohli? Or will the sacrificial lamb be the Chembur lad Shreyas Iyer?
Let us start with the numbers. Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara’s last hundreds were in a world where vaccines were for children, bio-bubbles were alien terms, and the mention of corona (premium lager) would bring instant smiles, not panic.
Since 2020, Pujara, Kohli and Rahane have played 80 Test innings between them for one hundred, though that innings by Rahane in Melbourne 2020/21 helped India win. Pujara has averaged 27.7 over this period, Kohli 26.8 and Rahane 24.4.
It is another story that, unlike Pujara and Kohli, Rahane also had poor 2017 and 2018.
Given the above numbers, giving Iyer the Karun Nair treatment is out of the question, especially after Iyer became the first Indian man to slam a hundred and fifty on his Test debut. A lot of India’s middle-order hopes rests on Iyer.
There is a buzz that Mayank Agarwal can be dropped. Some say it will be Pujara. Including a makeshift opener or No. 3 against a pace attack consisting of Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner – who is likely to play – may not be great idea.
In an ideal world, dropping Rahane would have been an easy choice. But today’s world is far from ideal in more ways than one.
Sandwiched between M.S. Dhoni’s presence and Rishabh Pant’s belligerence, Wriddhiman Saha fought numerous injuries and competitions to make a mark as arguably the finest gloveman in the world.
His gritty fifty rescued India in Kanpur, but recovering from a neck injury at 37 is not going to be easy. Filling in for Saha behind the stumps, K.S. Bharat gave a good account of himself in the Test. He may earn his Test cap in Mumbai.
India’s likely XI
Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara/Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli (c), Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha/K.S. Bharat (wk), R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.
Do New Zealand need to fear the Kohli threat? The Indian captain has not been in great touch, but he averages over 65 at home against New Zealand. On the other hand, Southee, his old Under-19s rival, has dismissed him 10 times in international cricket; Jamieson has dismissed him thrice in as many Tests, while Wagner has got him out thrice in Tests too.
The red soil in Wankhede aids bounce. And if the conditions remain overcast, Southee and Jamieson may need more assistance in the pace department. Wagner can bounce batters out as well as pitch up to swing the ball. The left-arm angle can also create trouble for the Indian right-handed batters. If New Zealand decide on Wagner, Will Somerville has to make way.
New Zealand’s likely XI
Will Young, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel.
Fantasy tips:
- Pick the Indian wicketkeeper (Saha or Bharat). He will have more chances of getting the dismissal points.
- Since 2018, with bowlers over 100 wickets, Southee has had the best bowling average after Pat Cummins. Low temperature, rain and overcast conditions in Mumbai could assist swing bowling. Southee can be a good captaincy candidate.
- Kohli and Williamson are due for a big score. One, or even both, captains may step up in Mumbai.
- Pick all three of Axar, Ashwin and Jadeja. Batting or bowling, they are safe to bank on.
Fantasy XI
Will Young, Tom Latham, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Axar Patel, R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee (c), Umesh Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha/K.S. Bharat (wk).