New Zealand v India Test series: TV channel, schedule & start times
New Zealand and India will lock horns in a two-Test series, starting on Friday. Find out how you can watch the New Zealand v India Test series on TV.
New Zealand and India have traded jabs with each so far on this tour. While India dominated the T20 international series, sweeping it 5-0, with two super over wins thrown in, the home team drew even in the one-day internationals that followed, winning each of the three games in the series, setting it all up nicely for the two upcoming Tests.
While India hold the aces in the overall head-to-head, winnings 21 Tests to New Zealand’s 10, Kane Williamson’s men have doubtless been the better side at home, holding an 8-5 advantage over the world’s No.1 team.
Only twice have India won a Test series in New Zealand, on their first ever tour of the country, in 1968, when they prevailed 3-1 in a four-Test series, under the captaincy of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, and more recently in 2009, when MS Dhoni led them to a 1-0 win a three-Test series against Daniel Vettori’s New Zealand. India’s last Test series in New Zealand was one of the great series of the previous decade, with New Zealand clinching a thriller in the series opener by 40 runs, before Brendon McCullum rewrote New Zealand’s record books by becoming the first, and so far only, Test triple centurion from his country.
Recent history has favoured India, who have lost just one Test to this opposition in the last 17 years, but New Zealand’s traditional strength at home suggests that they are primed to overturn it this time around.
New Zealand v India Tests: TV channel
Both the matches in the two-Test series can be watched on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports Select and Star Sports 1 Tamil, and on each of their HD variants, in India. State-owned broadcaster Doordarshan will also telecast the matches live in India. Hotstar, the digital streaming subsidiary of Star India, will also stream the games live in India.
Sky Sports will show the matches live in England, while Sky Sports NZ hold the broadcasting rights in the host country.
New Zealand v India Tests: Fixtures & start times
February 21-25: 1st Test, Wellington, 11.30am NZDT | 4am IST | 10.30pm (February 20) GMT
February 29-March 04: 2nd Test, Christchurch, 11.30am NZDT | 4am IST | 10.30pm (February 28) GMT
You can follow our coverage of the New Zealand v India Test series here.
New Zealand v India Tests: Star players
Kane Williamson, New Zealand: This is not just a right-wing selection. In Tests in New Zealand since the start of 2019, the home team’s captain has averaged 144.33. Only one of the five innings he has played at home in this time has ended short of at least 50 runs. In all, Williamson has 433 runs, with two centuries, including an unbeaten double, and two fifties.
Kane Williamson’s prolific recent home record against the red ball makes him New Zealand’s MVP
His record against India isn’t as prolific, with an everyman average of 37.11 and only five scores of fifty or more in 17 innings. But given the class he has demonstrated all through his near-decade-long career at the international level, it would be foolish to look past the significant threat he poses to the world’s top-ranked side.
Ravindra Jadeja, India: The wiry all-rounder from Saurashtra has been doing it all lately, across formats. Though he may not have a bagful of wickets to show for it, Jadeja has been India’s most dependable bowler on this New Zealand tour, maintaining an economy rate of under six in the T20I series and under five in the ODIs.
Ravindra Jadeja has had a lot of success with bat and ball over the last year
Those are significant numbers, especially when seen in light of the strides he has taken as a batsman in recent times: since January last year, the left-hander has averaged 62.85 with the bat in Test cricket. Combine that with an overall career average of 24.64 with the ball, and you have a world-beater on your hands.
