6 Indian players who were in the Test squad when New Zealand last toured India

Ajinkya Rahane

When the Black Caps last toured India, Ajinkya Rahane was in the Test squad but did not play in either of the two matches. Instead, he was pipped by Suresh Raina in the starting XI and had to wait till 2013 for his Test debut. And it is fair to say that the Test fortunes of Raina and Rahane have gone in completely opposite directions since then.

Ever since his Test debut in 2013, he has become India's Mr. Reliable, the man for a tricky situation and has cemented that reputation on plenty of occasions. Whether it batting up the order due to conditions or form of other players or playing with the tail, Rahane has proven himself to be adept and will be looking to improve his already impressive record against New Zealand, who he will be facing for the first time at home in Tests.

Closing in on 2,000 Test runs for India, Rahane will be hoping to take his place at No.5 with the likely return of Cheteshwar Pujara to No.3. As the best performer in last year's tour against India on pitches that are likely to similar to the ones in the upcoming series, India will be looking to Rahane to rescue or retaliate depending on the situation.