Hello and welcome to Sportstar’s LIVE coverage of Day 1 of the 2nd Test match between India and New Zealand from the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The warmups have begun.

Indian players warming up before the start of day’s play.   –  SHAYAN ACHARYA

10-34 am: TOSS AT 11-30 AM. MATCH TO BEGIN AT 12-00 PM. An entire session lost.

Early Lunch has been taken

Session 2: 12 Noon to 14-40 PM

Tea Time at 14-40 PM to 15-00 PM

Final session: 15-00 PM to 17-30 PM

9-50 am: Kane Williamson has been ruled out from the Mumbai Test due to a long-standing elbow injury. Tom Latham will lead the side in his absence.

Update: Meanwhile, the 9.30am inspection has happened. There is going to be another one at 10.30am.

9-30 am: Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja ruled out of the 2nd Test due to niggles.

Update: Kane Williamson might not play today because of his nagging elbow problem.

Pitch Report from Ajit Agarkar and Deep Dasgupta: There’s a bit of moisture, but this might hold because the pitch has been under the covers. This will certainly spin, because I can see cracks and these will open up with the sun out. Because of the moisture on Day 1, there will be seam, so if you bat first you have to bat well. This might be a good toss to lose.

Here’s Shayan again: The Maharashtra government has approved 25 per cent crowd capacity, but so far, stands are empty. One can see Sudhir Gautam waving the tri-colour from the Sachin Tendulkar stand.

On-field umpire Anil Chaudhary: We are not starting on time. Our concern is run-up and the close-in areas, so hoping for it to improve. “Our main concern is the 30-yard (circle) and the bowlers’ run-ups,” says umpire Nitin Menon. “The conditions will not be 100 per cent because it has rained last two days. But once the sunshine is out, we may get better conditions.”

TOSS DELAYED DUE TO WET OUTFIELD. INSPECTION AT 9-30 AM IST.

Our man on the ground, Shayan Acharya, has this update: Slightly soggy surface, but it hasn’t rained since last evening

Indian players limbering up before the start of first day’s play at Wankhede.   –  SHAYAN ACHARYA

MATCH PREVIEW:

Test cricket’s return to Mumbai after five years has been marred by incessant rains and the fear of COVID-19’s Omicron variant. It has forced the organisers to allow just 25 per cent crowd in the stadium.

However, the Test is crucial as a win here would declare the series-winner and also take them up in the ICC World Test Championship points table.

Virat Kohli’s return to the side after a short break augurs well for the host as it prepares to field the best XI. With more showers predicted, chances are high that play could be disrupted on the first day, thus making it more crucial for the teams to make a wise choice, in terms of picking the utility players.

New Zealand may add some spice with the inclusion of Neil Wagner, who had dismissed Gill and Rahane in the World Test Championship final in Southampton earlier in June.

The Kane Williamson-led side earned a draw in the first Test despite losing nine wickets, and that would certainly boost the Black Caps’ confidence ahead of the series-defining fixture.

-Shayan Acharya

PREVIEW: IND vs NZ, 2nd Test: Series, WTC points at stake amid rain threat

PREDICTED XI:

India: Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.

New Zealand: Tom Latham, Will Young, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor,Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (wk) (vc), Kyle Jamieson, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel.

DREAM11 PREDICTION:

Wicket-keeper: Wriddhiman Saha

Batters: Shreyas Iyer, Virat Kohli, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson

All-rounders: Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Ravindra Jadeja

Bowlers: Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson (vc), Umesh Yadav

Team composition: IND 7-4 NZ Credits left: 0.0

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