New Zealand arrives in India for one-off Test against Afghanistan

New Zealand arrived here on Thursday ahead of its one-off Test against Afghanistan, scheduled to be played in Greater Noida from September 9.

The one-off Test, the first red-ball fixture between the two nations, will be held at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground.

The Black Caps have named a strong side for the Test against Afghanistan.

Veteran pacer Tim Southee will lead the team, which includes the likes of former skipper Kane Williamson, who opted out of a central contract earlier this year, Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra, while Tom Latham continues to be the vice-captain.

The Black Caps have included five spin bowling options in Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel and part-timers Phillips and Ravindra for the Test. They will hold their first practice session on Friday.

The Test against Afghanistan will serve as a preparation for a two-match series against Sri Lanka, which is part of the World Test Championship (WTC).

After the tour of Sri Lanka, New Zealand will return to India as it takes on Rohit Sharma and his men in a three-match Test series, also a part of the WTC calendar.

The three games will be played in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai in October and November.

New Zealand currently occupies the third spot in the ICC WTC points table, behind last edition’s finalist, India, and Australia.