New Zealand begin their home Test season with a crucial opener against the West Indies, a match that carries significant weight in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. With valuable WTC points on offer, the hosts will look to maximise their advantage in familiar conditions, leaning on their proven seam attack and disciplined top order.
West Indies captain Roston Chase has won the toss and elected to bowl first at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.
New Zealand vs West Indies, 1st Test: Playing XIs
New Zealand Playing XI: Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Zakary Foulkes, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy.
West Indies Playing XI: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, John Campbell, Alick Athanaze, Shai Hope, Roston Chase (c), Justin Greaves, Tevin Imlach (wk), Kemar Roach, Johann Layne, Jayden Seales, Ojay Shields.
New Zealand's strong recent home record makes them favourites, but the pressure to start the WTC leg strongly will be firmly on them. For the West Indies, the tour represents both a fresh challenge and an opportunity to reset their Test trajectory. They arrive after a 2-0 loss against India in two-match away Test series.
Their bowlers, capable of generating bounce and movement, will look to disrupt New Zealand’s rhythm, while their batting unit must find answers against the hosts’ relentless seamers. A solid performance here could provide belief and momentum for the remainder of the series.
Kane Williamson, who sat out the Zimbabwe Tests, is back in New Zealand’s red-ball squad after a focused preparation phase that also kept him out of the recent ODI series against West Indies. On the bowling front, Zakary Foulkes, standout performer on debut with match figures of 9 for 75, is now in contention to play his first home Test.
New Zealand Vs West Indies, 1st Test: Squads
New Zealand Squad: Devon Conway, Tom Latham(w/c), Kane Williamson, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Zakary Foulkes, Nathan Smith, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Tom Blundell, Blair Tickner
West Indies Squad: John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Brandon King, Shai Hope(w), Alick Athanaze, Tevin Imlach, Roston Chase(c), Justin Greaves, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican, Anderson Phillip, Kavem Hodge, Ojay Shields, Johann Layne
New Zealand Vs West Indies, 1st Test: Live Streaming Details
Where to watch New Zealand vs West Indies 1st Test live on TV?
The New Zealand Vs West Indies 1st Test will be telecast on the Sony Sports Network in India.
Where to watch New Zealand vs West Indies 1st Test live on Internet?
The live streaming of the New Zealand Vs West Indies 1st Test will be available on SonyLIV and Fancode apps and websites.
