India vs New Zealand 2017: 5 player battles to watch out for

#1 Virat Kohli vs Mitchell Santner

Kohli's form will be crucial for India

The Indian skipper's wicket will be, without a shadow of a doubt, the one that New Zealand would target early on in the innings, given his ability to construct innings of substance to take the game away from the opposition.

Although Kohli was not in the greatest of form in the recent series against Australia, his ability to turn the tables on the opposition with the bat is something the New Zealanders will be wary of. One man who can pose a stiff challenge to Kohli will be left-arm orthodox Mitchell Santner.

The spinner has tons of experience under his belt and has played many matches against India, something that could come in handy against the Indian skipper. Assuming Kohli will bat for a majority of the time in the middle overs, how he handles the spin of Santner will be key to India's success.