The Shubman Gill-led India will look at the two-Test series against New Zealand as a make-or-break series for their chances of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 final. Weeks ahead of the Test series on New Zealand soil, former Kiwi captain and pacer Tim Southee has identified Mohammed Siraj as a ‘bigger threat’ than Jasprit Bumrah. Southee pointed out that an Indian side featuring Bumrah is yet to beat New Zealand in Tests. He feels that BlackCaps batters play the Indian bowling spearhead very well.
“I think New Zealand have played Bumrah incredibly well in Test cricket. I don’t think Bumrah has played in an Indian team that has beaten New Zealand. So, I think New Zealand play him exceptionally well in Tests,” Southee said in a select virtual interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network on October 15.
“New Zealand batters are very well equipped for the home conditions and know what they’re going to be faced with in terms of the early part of the season. So, yeah, it’ll be a good test.
“It’s two very good teams going against each other. Overall, it’s a good Indian bowling attack against an experienced and pretty solid batting line-up of New Zealand.”
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Southee is not wrong when it comes to numbers. Bumrah has played five Tests against New Zealand, two in Kiwi conditions, two at home and one in neutral conditions, the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) 2021 final. Bumrah has taken nine wickets from five Tests against the Kiwis at an average of 45.44.
But Bumrah has experience of bowling with the red ball in New Zealand conditions. He was part of the tour in February 2020. He claimed five wickets in the Christchurch Test. Southee is right as far as past encounters are concerned. He did not take into account that the pacer has evolved and is now well-equipped to use New Zealand’s seaming conditions.
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Southee predicts success for Siraj in New Zealand
Southee revealed that he is a fan of Siraj. He backs Siraj to be successful on New Zealand soil. This will be the first time Siraj plays Test cricket in New Zealand. He has played three Tests against New Zealand and taken five wickets at an average of 29.60. Notably, he remained wicketless in the last Test he played against New Zealand at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
“I’m a big fan of Mohammed Siraj and the way he bowls. If he can get his length right in New Zealand, he could be a handful,” Southee said.
“The energy he brings, the way he runs in all day, the type of bowler he is, there’s no reason why he can’t have a lot of success in New Zealand conditions. There’s a lot to like about him in particular.”
Siraj, India’s leading wicket-taker in WTC 2025-27
In the ongoing WTC cycle, Siraj has often led India’s pace attack in Bumrah’s absence. Siraj was exceptional in helping India draw the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on English soil last year. In the current cycle, he is the third-highest wicket-taker after England's Josh Tongue (64 wickets from 12 Tests) and Australia's Mitchell Starc (61 wickets from 11 Tests). Siraj has 43 wickets from 11 Tests at an average of 26.81, featuring two fifers. Meanwhile, Bumrah has played seven Tests and taken 29 wickets, averaging 22.55, including three fifers. He is India's third-highest wicket-taker in WTC 2025-27.
India team management’s plan for Bumrah
As per a report by TOI, Bumrah is set to be rested for the ODI series against New Zealand. Instead, he will get back into the red-ball groove with a game between India A and New Zealand A. The Indian team management wants Bumrah to be fit for the two-Test series and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy next year at home. However, it is possible that Bumrah may play a game or two in the ODI series and then be rested for the latter part of the tour.
He is yet to play a Test match in 2026. He was rested for the one-off Test against Afghanistan at home after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Why Southee believe the Indian attack will do well?
Southee is excited to see how the Indian attack performs. He believes that even if the surfaces flatten out after first two days, Indian pacers can still do the damage as they are used to bowling on those surfaces.
“The other guys like Prasidh Krishna and the like have had success in Tests in recent times as well, which is exciting for them.
“Now, alongside the use of the Kookaburra ball, the wickets after the first or the first two days can certainly flatten out. But if you look at the (Indian) attack, they’re used to playing on pretty flat surfaces. So, I’d imagine they’ll enjoy the challenge of bowling in New Zealand, and the conditions that may suit the bowlers and have a little bit in it (pitch) for them,” Southee said.
Southee also expects pace and bounce on pitches provided for the T20I and ODI series. He predicts high-scoring games starting on October 22.
Pacers to audition for a spot
So far, it is not clear whether Prasidh Krishna will be fit for the ODI and Test series. An official update on the progress is awaited from the BCCI medical team. In the three-match unofficial Test series which commences on October 24, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary and Mukesh Kumar will audition for a spot in the side. Nabi was part of the squad against Sri Lanka in Bumrah’s absence. He is yet to make his Test debut. Deep, Mukesh and Kamboj will be eyeing a return. Deep and Kamboj were part of the squad that toured England last year. Both the pacers haven’t played a Test since.
India A squad vs New Zealand A:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravichandran Smaran, Dhruv Jurel (c & wk), Washington Sundar, Auqib Nabi, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Manav Suthar, Mukesh Choudhary, Sai Sudarsan, Yash Rathod, Mukesh Kumar, Kumar Kushagra.