‘Always a big fan’: Trent Boult picks KL Rahul as Indian batter to watch in New Zealand Tests

India’s KL Rahul (PTI Photo) India’s next Test assignment will take them to New Zealand for a two-match series starting on November 19, and former Kiwi fast bowler Trent Boult believes KL Rahul will be one of India’s batsmen to watch closely.The two Tests will be part of India’s marathon in New Zealand, which begins on October 22 and features 12 matches across three formats. With India needing a strong result to stay in contention for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, the spotlight is expected to fall on several key players, including skipper Shubman Gill and pace boss Jasprit Bumrah.However, Boult picked Rahul and his partner Yashasvi Jaiswal as the two Indian batsmen he is particularly looking forward to seeing in action.“I’m always a big fan of KL Rahul and his style of batting. So he’s a big player at the top of the order for the Indian side. And yes, I believe Jaiswal is there too. Two classy batsmen to see the bat. So yes, it’s interesting to see,” Boult told PTI.

Boult expects the cold conditions to test India

The timing of the series could make the conditions particularly interesting. Unlike India’s previous Test tours of New Zealand, which were often held between February and March, this series will be played in late October and late November.Boult believes the timing could bring cooler weather, while he hopes the New Zealand pitches will retain some grass and offer help to the home attack.“It’s always an exciting occasion when the Indian team comes to play Test cricket in New Zealand,” Boult said.“The only thing I can see happening is the end of October. I believe the winter is just coming in. So it’s going to be quite cold. Hopefully there’s a bit of green in the wickets for some of our bowlers. It’s going to be a good series, I’m sure,” added the star former Kiwi pacer.

New Zealand attack has ‘covered bases’

Boult also backed the current New Zealand bowling unit to hit the ground running against India, pointing to the diversity available to the team.Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Nathan Smith and Will O’Rourke bring different qualities to the attack and Boult believes that gives New Zealand plenty of options to develop their own identity.“I think the bowling is very well balanced. He’s got the bases covered in terms of good pace, obviously with Will O’Rourke. Obviously a bit of swing and a bit of bounce from Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry with his accuracy.”“So yes, I think the way me, Tim (Southee) and Wags (Neil Wagner) have done it over the years has been unique in itself. But there are other strengths and other game plans that our younger bowlers can follow,” Boult said further.

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