New Zealand name spin-heavy squad for Indian Test tour; Boult and de Grandhomme opts out

New Zealand have named their 15-member squad for the two-match Test series in India starting November 25. Left-arm pacer Trent Boult and all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme were the two biggest names missing from the squad. The Kiwi duo made themselves unavailable due to the prospect of further time in bio-secure bubbles and isolation.

However, Boult will be available for selection for the three-match T20I series against the Men in Blue.

"Trent has already spent the best part of 60 days in hard-managed isolation this year, while Colin had been on the road since May until recently returning home from Pakistan. From talking to both players it was clear the best option for them was to be left out of this Test tour and for them to instead focus on being ready for the New Zealand home summer," said New Zealand coach Gary Stead in a statement.

The New Zealand tour to India will commence with a 3-match T20I series. The three T20Is are to be played in Jaipur (November 17), Ranchi (November 19) and Kolkata (November 21).

Kanpur will host the first Test match, which will begin from November 25-29, before the two teams head to Mumbai for the second Test starting on December 3-7.

The Black Caps squad for the T20I series will be the same 15-members participating in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE.

However, the Kane Williamson-led side have opted for a spin-heavy squad for the Indian Tests, naming as many as five spinners in the team.

Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel will spearhead the spin department alongside off-spinner Will Somerville. Uncapped left-arm spin all-rounder Rachin Ravindra and wicketkeeper-batter Glenn Phillips provide part-time off-spin options as well. Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner will be the pace options for Kane Williamson.

The rest of the squad has familiar names, including skipper Kane Williamson, veteran Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls and Will Young. Tom Blundell has been named as the first-choice keeper, who is backed up by services from Devon Conway and Tom Latham.

"Touring India is one of the greatest experiences in cricket and I know our guys are really looking forward to the challenge. It's fair to say we're expecting spin-friendly conditions and it's great to have a range of options in this department."

"The success of our spinners on recent tours to the sub-continent has been encouraging and we hope they can once again feature prominently. It's really exciting to begin the second installment of the WTC and we know there'll be an extra incentive for all the teams we play following our win in the inaugural competition," concluded Stead.

New Zealand Tour of India

Schedule for the India vs New Zealand T20I series

1st T20I - November 17, 2021 Jaipur

2nd T20I - November 19, 2021 Ranchi

3rd T20I - November 21, 2021 Kolkata

Schedule for the India vs New Zealand Test series

1st Test - November 25-29, 2021 Kanpur

2nd Test - December 3-7, 2021 Mumbai

NZ squad for T20Is:

Kane Williamson (captain), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi and Tim Southee.

NZ squad for Tests:

Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Blundell (wicketkeeper), Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Will Somerville, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner and Will Young