A captain battling an existential crisis, a veteran pacer about to be phased out and a white-ball maverick trying to earn his red-ball stripes makes for a heady combination as Ajinkya Rahane’s second-string India aim to size up a gritty New Zealand in first Test starting Thursday.

Rahane, with his career on line, gets to lead India may be one last time while 100-Test veteran Ishant Sharma will be praying that young turk Mohammed Siraj doesn’t nudge him out.

How Rahane strikes a balance in this Test between being a ruthless captain and also the batter his team expects him to be will decide in which direction his career goes from here. If he plays the game of survival against a Tim Southee or bumper-happy Neil Wagner, it might bring about downfall but as Pujara said, “being a bit fearless” will relieve him a bit from the gigantic pressure that’s on his shoulders to save his career.

Similarly, for Ishant, the senior-most player in the current set-up with 100 plus games and 300 plus wickets, the situation is getting bleak by the day. He didn’t look in good rhythm during the net session and if Siraj is dropped from the eleven, the lanky pacer will once again need to prove that team management’s decision isn’t a travesty.

Umesh Yadav however remains the first-choice new ball bowler. For Surya or Shreyas, whoever makes his debut, they will be looking at the bigger picture, knowing fully well that Pujara and Rahane won’t be around for a very long time. A solid debut with an aggressive mindset might give them a shot at permanent middle-order place in future. If one goes by cues from nets, the sequence of batters appears to be Gill and Mayank, followed by Pujara and Rahane.

Next line was interestingly Iyer, who had special session with left-arm throwdown specialist Nuwan who was creating a simulation to play Wagner. While it’s not known if Axar Patel’s workload is being managed but Jayant Yadav had an extended run in the nets under watchful eyes of Dravid.

When and where will the 1st Test between India and New Zealand be played?

The 1st Test between India and New Zealand will start from 9-30 am IST on Thursday, November 19 at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.

How to watch the 1st Test between India and New Zealand on TV?

Star Sports will provide live television coverage of the 1st Test in India.

How to watch the 1st Test between India and New Zealand online?

Hotstar will provide live streaming of the 1st Test in India.

How to follow the 1st Test between India and New Zealand?

Live coverage of India vs New Zealand, 1st Test will be available on www.indiatoday.in/sports.