India pursue Test revenge against top-ranked New Zealand

NEW DELHI  - Buoyed by their T20 clean sweep, India will look to avenge their defeat in the World Test Championship final when
they host a weary New Zealand in the first Test in Kanpur from Thursday.

   The Indians have been hurting since the eight-wicket hammering by Kane
Williamson's Black Caps at the inaugural World Test Championship final in
Southampton in June.

   But they routed the tourists, runners-up in the T20 World Cup earlier this
month, in the recent three-game series, giving them confidence that they can
start the new World Championship cycle in winning style.

   However India -- under new coach Rahul Dravid and second in the Test
rankings behind New Zealand -- will be without their in-form opener Rohit
Sharma, who has opted out of the two-Test series, and skipper Virat Kohli.

   Kohli will return for the second Test in Mumbai in early December while
Ajinkya Rahane will lead the side in his absence in Kanpur.

   New Zealand will be boosted by the return of captain Williamson, who was
rested from the T20 games following a gruelling schedule that saw his side
travel to India just the day after losing the World Cup final in Dubai.

   The World Cup itself followed hot on the heels of the Indian Premier
League.

   India failed to make it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup after
going down to Pakistan and New Zealand, an exit which at least allowed them a
breather.

   It clearly helped, with India cruising to a clean sweep over a jaded-
looking New Zealand in the three games, all played in less than a week and in
three different cities.

   But Dravid was quick to offer a reality check.

   "To be honest, we have to keep our feet on the ground and be a bit
realistic about this win," said Dravid, after India won Sunday's final game
by 73 runs to wrap up the series 3-0.

   "(It's) not easy for New Zealand to play a World Cup final and then to
turn up three days later and play three games in six days."

   - 'Formidable India' -

   Veteran Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor, returning to international action
for the first time since the Test final five months ago, admitted retaining
the crown would be a tall order.

   "We've gone so many years as underdogs. But now coming in as champions, I
guess the element of surprise is gone," Taylor said during a virtual press
meet on Sunday.

   "But any time you play India at home you're going to be the underdogs,
whether you're No. 1 in the world or where they sit in international cricket
at the time," said Taylor, 37.

   "They are resting a couple of players but they're still a formidable side
and know these conditions really well."

   New Zealand will next tour Pakistan and England in the new WTC cycle and
will be hosting Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa.

   Like for the T20 series, spectators will be allowed for the game in Kanpur
-- where there has been heavy pollution -- but the players will continue to
stay in strict bubbles because of the coronavirus.

   Squads:

   India: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara,
Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha, KS Bharat, Ravindra Jadeja, R.
Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Md. Siraj,
Prasidh Krishna.

   New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt), Tom Blundell, Kyle Jamieson, Tom
Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin
Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Will Somerville, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, Will Young.BSS/AFP