5 undervalued India and New Zealand players who can do well in the upcoming Test series

India and New Zealand are all set to lock horns in the three-Test series which will begin on September 22 in Kanpur. With the exception Shardul Thakur and Stuart Binny, the Indian squad, on its quest to regain the No.1 spot in Tests, is pretty much the same as the one that traveled to West Indies.

The Kiwis, on the other hand, have brought back Jimmy Neesham, who has not played international cricket since 2015 after sustaining a back injury. New Zealand will be the underdogs in the series, but they have plenty of names in their squad, capable of giving India a good fight.

Here’s a look at the top 5 underrated India and New Zealand players who can spring up a surprise glittery performance in the series.

#1 Amit Mishra, India

Amit Mishra is the most undervalued leg-spinner in the team at present. While a lot has been discussed about the dependence on Ravichandran Ashwin and Ishant Sharma during the buildup to the series, little has been spoken of Mishra’s brilliance, as seen in his latest stats.

In the warm-up match against the West Indies, he confused the batsmen with his bowling variations, picking up four wickets. He continued his great form in the main games against the Caribbeans, picking up six wickets in the two Tests.

In the T20 against West Indies, too, MS Dhoni’s risk of playing Mishra over Binny paid off well as the leg-spinner who picked up 3 wickets for 24 runs.

Riding high on his performance against the Windies, we can certainly expect the 33-year-old to replicate his recent success against the Kiwis.

#2 Shikhar Dhawan, India

The series against New Zealand will decide Dhawan’s Test future

Shikhar Dhawan's selection for the New Zealand tests was the biggest talking point after India's squad was announced. With such a lot of debate enveloping his selection, the southpaw will be under great pressure in the series. With Gautam Gambhir in superb form, many fans had just one question in mind - why was Dhawan given the long rope?

Although he has been retained in the squad which played the West Indies, he is likely to miss out on the playing XI with KL Rahul and Murali Vijay set to open the innings.

Shikhar’s last Test century came against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle in August 2015. After that, he has played 11 innings in seven Test matches, scoring just one 50-plus score – against the West Indies in the first Test.

In the Duleep Trophy match in which his teammate Cheteshwar Pujara scored a huge 256 not out and his team piled up nearly 700 runs, the out of form Dhawan failed to muster a half-century, falling for only 29.

This is perhaps his last chance to save his test career. And so we can expect a comeback performance from Dhawan as a resurrection.

#3 Tom Latham, New Zealand

Tom Latham has proved himself in turning conditions

Tom Latham of New Zealand is a mettlesome opener. But he is often undervalued for not being able to convert his good start into a long innings. Latham played a vital role in the Kiwi’s successful victorious tour to the UAE back in 2014 when he scored two centuries.

His gritty batting style has been seen in tough conditions as well. Batting in foreign soil, in India, can prove to be challenging for Latham, who will have to face quality off spinners like Ashwin.

New Zealand’s credence can be boosted if Latham can successfully tackle Ashwin. But you cannot underestimate a batsman who has proved himself in turning conditions.

#4 Ish Sodhi, New Zealand

Indian origin Ish Sodhi has the potential to become problematic for Indian batsman

Despite a not so great start to his Test career, there has been something about New Zealand leg-spinner Sodhi that gave him a longer rope.

The young, 23-year-old cricketer, of Indian origin, showed signs of improvement in the World T20 and in Brendon McCullum’s farewell series against Australia. He spun the ball well, restricting the movement of the batsmen. Sodhi’s smart use of the white ball has brought him back in the spotlight and the youngster is slowly gaining recognition.

The series against India will be a test of Ish’s character. If he succeeds, then the blackcaps will have their spin issues solved across all formats.

Born in Ludhiana before his family relocated to New Zealand, Sodhi is expecting his relatives in the stands.

#5 Henry Nicholls, New Zealand

Henry Nicholls can give solidity to New Zealand’s middle order

The young and stylish New Zealand batsman from Christchurch is one of the most underrated players and deserves more recognition. Though his appearance in Test cricket has been sporadic, he is known for being the dependable player who can win you the game when others fail.

The southpaw made his Test debut in February 2016 against in Wellington against Australia and scored a half century in the second innings of the test match. Nicholls has an above average record in First-Class cricket and his technique in the middle-order will give solidity in the Kiwi batting line up.

The 24-year-old has played six Tests so far in which he has scored 221 runs at an average of 27.62 with a couple of fifties to his stats.

India’s quality spin attack will meet New Zealand’s quality middle order to give us yet another interesting contest.