India and New Zealand are all set to have a crack at each other in a three-match Test series starting from October 16 in Bengaluru. With one eye on the skies, the teams will look to bring the best plans to the table in terms of playing combinations.
The weather in Bengaluru would tempt to play three seamers as it rained in the city on the eve of the Test match. While New Zealand possess a strong seam attack, the hosts match the pace battery foot-to-foot. Meanwhile, India are set to own an unthinkable world record in the history of Test cricket.
The Men in Blue are set to become the first team ever to hit 100 sixes in a calendar year in Test matches. The Indians already hold the record for hitting the most number of maximums in a year as they currently have 97 sixes to their name in 2024. Three more maximums will propel them to the never-before-breached triple-digit mark in the red-ball format.
After India, England are second with 89 maximums to their name which they hit under the Bazball era in 2022. India's 87 maximums in 2021 stand third in the tally.
Most sixes by a team in Test cricket in a calendar year:
1 - India: 97 sixes in 2024*
2 - England: 89 sixes in 2022
3 - India: 87 sixes in 2021
4 - New Zealand: 81 sixes in 2014
5 - New Zealand: 71 sixes in 2013
India recently completed a 2-0 series win against Bangladesh at home. They outclassed the Bangla Tigers by a huge margin of 280 runs in the first Test in Chennai. The hosts then registered a brilliant seven-wicket win in Kanpur after a carnage with the bat.
Just like in Kanpur, there are heavy possibilities of precipitation in Bengaluru over the next few days. There are 41% of showers on October 16, 40% on October 17, 67% on October 18, 25% on October 19 and 40% on October 20.
