# New Zealand name 14-man Test squad for India series starting 19 November 2026-11-11T03:16:57+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets New Zealand have named a 14-member Test squad for the two-match series against India starting 19 November in Wellington, with Tom Latham as captain. Rachin Ravindra (shoulder), Devon Conway (concussion) and Tom Blundell (quadriceps) return from injury, though all three require fitness tests before the first Test, Bhaskar reports. Pacers Will O'Rourke (workload management), Ben Sears (ankle) and Jack Foulkes (hip) miss out, Jacob Duffy replaces O'Rourke. The squad is largely unchanged from June's 2-1 win in England. BJ Watling joined as batting coach on 9 November, replacing Luke Ronchi. Bhaskar adds the series is crucial for the WTC 2025-27 final race: New Zealand top the table while India, in fourth, need to win most of their remaining seven Tests. Aaj Tak notes the series is the first Test meeting between the sides since New Zealand's 3-0 clean sweep in India in 2024. The first Test runs 19 to 24 November in Wellington, with the second in Christchurch from 27 November. ## Indian Opinion Analysis TV9, Bhaskar and Aaj Tak all report the same squad and fitness timeline, giving straight wire-style coverage. Bhaskar adds a WTC context and Blundell's 50th Test milestone, while Aaj Tak stresses the strength of New Zealand's pace attack in Williamson's absence. TV9 frames the series as a chance for India to avenge the 2024 home clean sweep. None of the outlets criticises or defends the team selection, the differences are confined to which detail each leans on. The uniform treatment means readers get a consistent factual baseline: three injured players are back, one new bowler replaces three absent pacers, and the series starts on 19 November in Wellington. ## Coverage Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral - tv9hindi.com (neutral report) Straight squad announcement with a balancing line about India's revenge opportunity - bhaskar.com (neutral report) Wire-style coverage with added WTC context and Blundell milestone - aajtak.in (neutral report) Standard squad report emphasising pace attack strength in Williamson's absence This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Update, 11 November 2026: this story now draws on 3 sources. Last updated 2026-11-11T06:30:09+00:00. Tags: Devon Conway, New Zealand cricket team, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Latham, WTC 2025-27 Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/new-zealand-announce-test-squad-for-india-series-latham-to-lead/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/new-zealand-announce-test-squad-for-india-series-latham-to-lead/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/