Speaking to the media on the eve of the opening game, India stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane confirmed that Shreyas Iyer will be making his Test debut in the opening game of the two-match series against New Zealand in the Green Park Stadium on Thursday. 

India have also given rest to the likes of Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and it needs to be seen what combination head coach Rahul Dravid feels comfortable with. The spin department is well taken care of as Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja are all available for selection.

One needs to see how spinners Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, and Mitchell Santner perform in the series as the heavy workload will fall on their shoulders looking at how Indian pitches deteriorate as the Test progresses.