Virat Kohli Eyes First Test 50 Of 2024, Aims To Hit Incredible Milestone In New Zealand Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, the torchbearers of transition, will have to be India's driving force in their quest to lord over an unsettled New Zealand in a three-Test series, beginning here with the first match here on Wednesday.  The baton has not been completely passed, but Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are certainly running their last lap and these two young superstars will have to show that they can carry forward the legacy of the titans.

The signs, so far, are bright. Since a productive series against England earlier this year, Gill is now more familiar and comfortable with the rigours of Test cricket.

His last 10 innings contain three hundreds and two fifties, while Jaiswal's last eight outings in Test cricket feature a 214 and five fifties.

Those numbers are not to be scoffed at. But at the same time, it is important for them to build on the foundation through this series against the Kiwis, a precursor to the much tougher journey to Australia next month.

Gill seemed to have sorted his issues with the in-coming deliveries from pacers, but a trace of the old failing still remains.

In Chennai, Bangladesh pacer Hasan Mahamud troubled him with nip-backers before eventually grabbing his wicket.

Similarly, Jaiswal has a penchant to go for expansive shots against pace bowlers to get dismissed, evidenced by his three dismissals recently against Bangladesh quicks.

In all, the left-hander has fallen to pacers 12 times in 20 innings that he has played till now, and he would want a better record before facing a clutch of top-class Australian pacers Down Under.

While these concerns are not deeply rooted, they serve as cautionary points against a New Zealand attack that has capable hands in pacers Matt Henry, William