India vs New Zealand Live Score 1st Test Day 2: Rohit Sharma took a look at the pitch on the first day

Unfortunately for day two, the forecast doesn’t show any signs of easing up either, with inclement weather expected in Bangalore once again. Nevertheless, fans and players will hold out hope that some cricket can be played on day two, and that not too many more overs are lost to rain right at the beginning of the series.

Some key players are expected to miss out on this encounter, with Kane Williamson pulling out of the first Test match and Shubman Gill also reportedly dealing with a setback. Mark Chapman is expected to step in for Williamson, while Gill could be replaced by Sarfaraz Khan in a move which sees KL Rahul move further back up the order once again.

All three of the sessions have been extended for day two, with the aim of getting 98 overs in the day, but the forecast promises persistent rain through Thursday as well, which might make the hope of achieving too much play a little difficult. There were also reported difficulties with calibrating Hawkeye at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, with the constant presence of covers meaning play was further delayed.

New Zealand continue to struggle with weather affecting play in the subcontinent, with the entirety of their scheduled one-off Test against Afghanistan, meant to be played in Greater Noida, being rained out last month.

On the Indian front, this rain-out has a big influence on the World Test Championship permutations. India entered this series aware that a 3-0 whitewash would be enough to seal their spot in the finals. However, if this match results in a draw after losing some days, India will have their task cut out with the need to produce results in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India will want to get more playing time under the belt for players such as Akash Deep, who might need to be a frontline seamer down under depending on the fitness of Mohammed Shami, as well as Rishabh Pant, who is making his comeback from a long time out with injury. The wicketkeeper-batter had a strong return to Test cricket against Bangladesh.

India’s 2-0 win over Bangladesh continued a strong year for India, who earlier beat England 4-1 in the home series. The T20 World Cup trophy was also a huge boost of confidence for the team, before the introduction of Gautam Gambhir to the role of head coach. This series will allow Gambhir and his unit to gain more experience before the blockbuster tour in Australia.

Meanwhile, New Zealand have struggled with consecutive series losses at home against Australia, and while touring Sri Lanka, getting whitewashed in both contests. This will be an opportunity for the Kiwis to bounce back, but a lot will depend on their spin bowling quality, with Ajaz Patel leading them in that department.

New Zealand will hope to catch their hosts napping as they prepare to start play in Bangalore, with the potential to create a scare for India in what will be a shortened Test match.