New Zealand Set to Leverage Afghanistan's Inexperience in Historic Test Match

New Zealand aims to capitalize on Afghanistan's inexperience in red-ball cricket during their first-ever Test match. With upcoming World Test Championship matches in the subcontinent in mind, the Kiwis are focused on gaining momentum. Afghanistan will face challenges with key players missing but look to leverage familiarity with the venue.

New Zealand is poised to capitalize on Afghanistan's relative inexperience in red-ball cricket as both teams face off in a historic one-off Test starting Monday. The match serves as a prelude to New Zealand's challenging World Test Championship fixtures in the subcontinent.

This Test marks the beginning of an intense period for the Black Caps, who will play six consecutive long-format games in the subcontinent—a feat they haven't managed in 40 years. New Zealand's abysmal subcontinent record of 40 losses in 90 matches adds another layer of urgency to hit the ground running.

With senior batsman Kane Williamson stressing the need for quick adaptation to conditions, the Kiwis are well-prepared with five spinning options, including Ajaz Patel and Rachin Ravindra, to dominate proceedings. Matt Henry leads the pace attack, while Tim Southee's recent dip in form is a concern. Afghanistan, in their 10th Test since gaining status in 2017, miss key players like Rashid Khan but aim to use their familiarity with the Noida venue to their advantage.

(With inputs from agencies.)