New Zealand have named a 14-man squad for the two-match Test series against India, and it carries three injury worries. India, meanwhile, are waiting on Rishabh Pant's final fitness check before he flies out. The first Test starts in Wellington on 19 November.

New Zealand's squad

Tom Latham will captain the side, according to the International Cricket Council (ICC). The full squad is Tom Latham (captain), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner and Will Young.

Three of those names are carrying injuries but have still been picked: wicketkeeper Tom Blundell has a quadricep problem, opener Devon Conway is recovering from concussion and all-rounder Rachin Ravindra has a shoulder issue. Fast bowler Jacob Duffy returns to the Test group. Ben Sears (ankle), Zak Foulkes (hip) and Will O'Rourke are the notable absentees.

Head coach Rob Walter said the squad is largely the same as the one that played in England earlier this year. He also pointed out that there are 10 Tests scheduled for New Zealand between now and March.

Why this series matters

Both teams are still in the race for next year's World Test Championship final at The Oval. According to the ICC, New Zealand are second in the standings behind South Africa, Australia are third and India are fourth. A good result in New Zealand would help India move up the table, while a defeat would make the climb harder.

There is history too. The last time these sides met in a Test series, New Zealand won 3-0 in India in 2024. This will be the first Test series between the two since then.

Rishabh Pant's fitness

For India, the big question mark has been Pant. According to The Hindu, quoting a PTI report, he suffered a side strain while playing the Irani Cup for Rest of India. He was first named in the India A squad for an unofficial Test against New Zealand A, subject to fitness, but did not get the required return-to-play certificate from the BCCI Centre of Excellence.

A board source told PTI that Pant is "completely fit" and is going through match-simulation drills. One round was held on Tuesday and one more is due on Wednesday, 11 November. If both go well, he will fly to Wellington on Thursday, 12 November.

Pant is 29 and has played 52 Tests, with eight centuries and 21 fifties at an average of above 43. The Hindu notes he is one of the few members of the current group who has played a Test in New Zealand, on the 2020 tour.

The India A series ended in a washout

The India A and New Zealand A series ended 0-0. Rain washed out the final days of the third unofficial Test, according to The Hindu. Headlines in other papers say Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja got hardly any game time from the series, so India's main bowlers will start the real Tests with little match practice.

What happens next

  • 12 November: Pant is expected to leave for Wellington if he clears both simulation rounds.
  • 15 November: the ODI series ends, so Test players such as Shubman Gill and KL Rahul, who are sitting out the last two ODIs, will already be preparing.
  • 19 to 24 November: first Test in Wellington.
  • 27 November to 2 December: second Test in Christchurch.

India have not yet released a full list of their 15 for the Tests in the reports we have seen. We will update this story when the squad is confirmed.

What this means for fans

New Zealand's pace group of Henry, Jamieson and Duffy will be the home side's main new-ball option, and the batting depends on whether Conway and Ravindra are fully fit by 19 November. Check the broadcaster's schedule for exact start times in IST.