New Zealand Receive Stern Warning: Two Stars Make India Invincible at Home

Veteran opener Martin Guptill has issued a caution to the New Zealand team as they prepare to face India in the upcoming three-match Test series. Guptill has lauded India's all-rounder pair, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, for consistently bailing out the Asian giants with their remarkable performances both with the bat and the ball. In a recent display of their prowess, Jadeja and Ashwin orchestrated a remarkable 199-run partnership for the seventh wicket in the first Test against Bangladesh. Their efforts lifted India from a precarious position of 144 for six to a formidable total, setting the stage for a resounding victory. Guptill's warning serves as a reminder to the New Zealand team of the threat posed by these talented individuals and the need to be prepared for their impact in the upcoming series.

After the Bangladesh series, India's next red-ball assignment will be a three-match Test series against New Zealand.

Guptill was asked to pick between Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah as the biggest threat to New Zealand, and the Kiwi star added Jadeja to the mix.

“Both of them. I mean, you can't take away (the fact) that (Ravindra) Jadeja scored 86, 89 or something, wasn't it?

“(They had a) 199 run partnership, you think you've got India against the ropes, and then you've got these two come out and bat," Guptill told PTI.

However, Guptill picked Jadeja as a better batter than Ashwin and praised the latter for his effectiveness with the bat.

“While Jadeja is probably the better batter, I mean, Ashwin goes about his work in a completely different way and is very effective in the way he scores his runs,” he said.

Team India has a remarkable record at home, being unbeaten since 2013. They hold the record for most consecutive series wins at home, currently 17. Rohit Sharma and Co. have already taken a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Their next opponent New Zealand have not beaten India in an away Test series ever.

Guptill asserted that with the depth in their batting line-up, it's not easy for an away team to stamp their authority over India.

“So you never feel like you're on top of India because they've got such depth, and then, obviously, you've got them as a partnership of the ball as well,” he said.

The finalists of the inaugural World Test Championship in 2019-21 cycle, India and New Zealand, will face off in three Tests to be played at Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai from October 16.