KANPUR, India (AP) India won the toss and elected to bat in the first test against New Zealand in Kanpur starting Thursday.
Despite overcast skies that should aid swing at the Green Park Stadium, Virat Kohli decided to give his batsmen first use of a dry pitch.
India selected two spinners, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, as Amit Mishra was left out. That created a deep batting line-up with Rohit Sharma at number six. Murali Vijay and K.L. Rahul continued their opening pairing from the last test India played in the West Indies last month. Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami formed the new ball pairing.
New Zealand picked three spinners: Mitchell Santner, Mark Craig and Ish Sodhi. Neil Wagner will share the new ball with Trent Boult, replacing the injured Tim Southee.
