Bengaluru: The ground staff spent several minutes lifting the polythene covers over the pitch to replace the burlap underneath. The curator was at her side to check whether water had penetrated inside. Their group was at its busiest on a gloomy day before the game in Bengaluru, where it drizzled before pouring rain.

The Indian team spent the day indoors, Shubman Gill spent his day on the physio table getting treatment for a strained neck. while New Zealand went to the trouble of coming to Chinnaswamy Stadium and setting up a net on the indoor pitches. Their batsmen would want to hone their techniques before facing India’s spin twins. The hosts have not lost a series at home in twelve years.

It’s a strange rivalry – India vs New Zealand – with no nerves and a little aftertaste of one-on-one words. Despite their over-the-top batting power, New Zealand aren’t winning much in India – just two wins in 36 Tests. India fared slightly better in New Zealand – 5 wins in 25 games – but the acrimonious short series between the two nations did not allow the rivalry to blossom.

Cricket fans in the city don’t want to miss a date to watch Virat Kohli play. But would they line up for playing tickets when forecasters are predicting a week of thunderstorms and particularly bad weather on the first two days?

However, there is hope as the stadium has one of the best drainage systems in the country. This will not be a repeat of Kanpur. Once it stops raining, it doesn’t take long for the water to be sucked into the sub-aerial drainage system.

Both teams will keep their fingers crossed. India want to pick up wins at home so they can play for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy without the pressure of securing the final spot in the World Test Championship. Tom Latham wants to set the right tone as he begins his captaincy and prove it by delivering more impressive performances than the Kiwis managed in Sri Lanka.

If Gill doesn’t recover, Sarfaraz Khan will move into the starting XI. He started with three fifties in three games against England, at home last year. The Mumbai batsman has an insatiable appetite for runs. After being released from the Bangladesh series to take part in the Irani Cup, he accumulated another double ton.

Gill has enjoyed his preferred No.3 position. KL Rahul may get a stopgap deal. India don’t want to tinker with the opening combination now that Yashasvi Jaiswal has learned to settle for a bed and breakfast like quality opening batters should.

Rohit Sharma had high praise for his opening partner. “He is a real talent and can play in all conditions. The only important thing is how he copes in the next few years,” he said. “It works well for the team as he is a left-handed hitter and aggressive. We found a great player.”

The other decision India needs to consider is whether they can find a way to give Kuldeep Yadav another game. But weather conditions may force them to select three sailors. Also, Akash Deep has grown with each of the three Tests he has featured in.

The pitch looks dry but the persistent rain over the last few days would result in some early morning moisture which could be exploited with the new ball.

“It rained a lot. The parking space is covered. We reserve the option of playing three seamers or three spinners but we will come tomorrow morning and look at the pitch to decide,” the Indian captain told reporters on Tuesday.

New Zealand might also be tempted to field the experienced Tim Southee as a third player behind Matt Henry and young pacer Will O’Rourke, who had a good series in Sri Lanka. The last time Southee played here; He had posted a career-best 7-64. But that was 12 years ago. The 102-Test veteran wants to rediscover his wicket-taking form.

Bossing at home

One reason it would be wrong to rule out a result despite the rain is India’s reckless attitude to winning. Despite the rain, they found a way to overwhelm Bangladesh in Kanpur in two days. “Ultimately, our attitude doesn’t have to change. We have to keep trying to win games. We will look at the game situation here and press the paddle accordingly to move the game forward,” said Sharma.

What makes India so good at home? “Their hunger and their desire to want to win. Their attitude that they never take for granted,” Eoin Morgan, former England player and pundit, said last week. “They must be considered one of the greatest in their own circumstances. We come from countries that have great advantages for the home team. But our records across generations are nowhere near as good as those of the Indians.”

“It’s hard to win anywhere away from home. But if you look at India, they have both spinners and equally good close attack and match-winning batting. We have to play well,” said Tom Latham, New Zealand captain.

New Zealand batsmen want to stay true to each of their methods and find ways to score. The question is whether this will be enough against the Jasprit Bumrah-led pace attack Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.