In New Zealand, the Tests start at 11:00 AM local. The toss is at 10:30 AM local. If you turn on Sky Sport at 11:00 AM local, you have already missed the toss, the XI, and the first clue about the pitch.
1st Test: Thursday 19 to Monday 23 November 2026, Basin Reserve, Wellington. Daily start 11:00 AM local, toss 10:30 AM local, 3:30 AM IST, toss 3:00 AM IST in India.
2nd Test: Friday 27 November to Tuesday 1 December 2026, Hagley Oval, Christchurch. Daily start 11:00 AM local, toss 10:30 AM local, 3:30 AM IST, toss 3:00 AM IST in India.
This is a World Test Championship series, India’s last away series in the current cycle. As of 31 October 2026, New Zealand are 1st in the WTC table on 72.22% PCT, and India are 4th on 51.52% PCT. A win is worth 12 points, a draw 4, a tie 6, a loss 0, ranked by PCT.
In New Zealand: Sky Sport, Sky Go and Sky Sport Now
TV in New Zealand: Sky Sport.
Streaming in New Zealand: Sky Go and Sky Sport Now, per tour listings.
Sky Sport is the home broadcaster in New Zealand for this tour. Check Sky Sport’s schedule, closer to 19 November, for the channel number for the 1st Test in Wellington, and closer to 27 November, for the channel number for the 2nd Test in Christchurch. Do not rely on a channel number from the ODI leg, or from a different series, without checking it for the Tests.
How to set it up, the night before each Test:
- Update the Sky Go app, and the Sky Sport Now app if you use it, on the night before the Test — 18 November for Wellington, 26 November for Christchurch.
- Sign in, and test a stream, even a highlights clip, to confirm your subscription is active.
- Set a reminder in Sky Go or Sky Sport Now, and set push notifications on, if you want toss, wicket and milestone alerts.
- Charge your phone, and keep a charger nearby, if you watch on a phone.
- Set your alarms: 10:15 AM local to wake up and open the app, 10:30 AM local for the toss, 10:55 AM local for the first ball. No snooze on the toss alarm.
At 10:30 AM local, the toss:
Open the app or turn on Sky Sport at 10:30 AM local, not at 11:00 AM local. The toss tells you, in 30 seconds: who won the toss, who chose to bat or bowl, the confirmed XI, and the pitch report from Basin Reserve or Hagley Oval. Check Pant and Bumrah first — Pant was recovering from a left side strain, and Bumrah and Pant were expected to play the India A 3rd unofficial Test at Lincoln as a comeback match. Check Prasidh Krishna’s fitness as well. Do not treat a predicted XI as confirmed. The XI is only confirmed at the toss, and it can change between Wellington and Christchurch.
Session times in New Zealand — usual pattern, to check on the day
Test session times are presented as the usual pattern, to check on the day, not as confirmed:
- Session 1: 11:00 AM-1:00 PM local
- Lunch: 40 minutes
- Session 2: 1:40-3:40 PM local
- Tea: 20 minutes
- Session 3: 4:00-6:00 PM local
That is 90 overs a day, in three sessions of about 30 overs each, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM local. A new ball is available after 80 overs, and again after 160 overs. The follow-on, under Law 14 for a five-day Test, requires a 200-run first-innings deficit.
In IST, for readers in India, that is: Session 1 3:30-5:30 AM IST, Session 2 6:10-8:10 AM IST, Session 3 8:30-10:30 AM IST, with the toss at 3:00 AM IST and the first ball at 3:30 AM IST.
If you cannot watch all day, watch Session 1 for the new ball, and watch the last hour of Session 3 for the second new ball and the close. If you miss the toss, do a 5-minute catch-up: toss result, XI, pitch, first-innings score, and wickets.
Wellington vs Christchurch: what is different
Basin Reserve, Wellington, 19-23 November:
Basin Reserve is known for wind. The wind can hold the ball up, or push it across the batter. Watch the new ball in Session 1, and watch the leaves outside off stump. India have won only 5 Tests in New Zealand, in 25 Tests there, against New Zealand’s 10 wins and 10 draws.
Hagley Oval, Christchurch, 27 November-1 December:
Hagley Oval is known for seam and bounce, with a pitch that can offer movement early, and true bounce as the match goes on. India’s last Test at Hagley Oval was in February-March 2020, when New Zealand won by 7 wickets, as part of a 2-0 Test series win in New Zealand. Watch the new ball, seam and bounce, and the leaves outside off stump, in the first hour.
Do not confuse the two grounds. Wellington is Basin Reserve, with wind. Christchurch is Hagley Oval, with seam and bounce. Both start at 11:00 AM local, but the cricket is different.
Outside New Zealand
In India: Sony Sports Network on TV, SonyLIV for streaming, paid subscription required for full live matches in India. Start 3:30 AM IST, toss 3:00 AM IST.
In the USA: Willow TV, plus Fubo and Sling TV, per tour listings. Check the broadcaster’s schedule closer to 19 November, for the start time in your time zone.
If you are travelling: check availability on the day before you travel, and check whether your Sky Go or Sky Sport Now subscription works outside New Zealand. Do not assume a subscription bought in New Zealand will work in India or in the USA. Check the broadcaster for the country you are in.
For readers following the tour through cricbet, the same three checks apply in New Zealand: Sky Sport, Sky Go and Sky Sport Now, with an 11:00 AM local start and a 10:30 AM local toss. It is a gaming and betting-related platform, not an official broadcaster, and any betting-related features are for adults only, where legally permitted. Use responsibly and check local rules, as betting law in India varies by state. For live scores, the official broadcast in New Zealand remains Sky Sport, with Sky Go and Sky Sport Now for streaming.
If the stream fails at 10:30 AM local
Do not panic, and do not use an unofficial stream.
- Check your connection first — Wi-Fi or data, and whether other apps work.
- Close and reopen the Sky Go or Sky Sport Now app.
- Drop the video quality to Auto, or to a lower setting, if the stream is buffering.
- Switch to TV, if you have Sky Sport, while the app recovers.
- Check the official help page for Sky, for a service update.
- If the app still does not work, use the TV broadcast, and check the official scorecard for the toss and XI, rather than an unofficial source.
What to watch, once you are watching
India Test squad, announced 16 October 2026, 16 players:
Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Devdutt Padikkal, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper, subject to fitness clearance), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj, with Axar Patel and Manav Suthar not included.
New Zealand’s Test squad had not been announced as of 31 October 2026. Check the announcement before Wellington, and check the confirmed XI at the 10:30 AM local toss in Wellington, and again in Christchurch, because the XI can change between Tests.
The WTC table, after each Test:
After Wellington, on 23 November, India are on 55.56% PCT with a win, 50.00% with a draw, and 47.22% with a loss. After Christchurch, on 1 December, India are on 58.97% with two wins, 51.28% with a 1-1 split, and 43.59% with two losses. Use the updated table after Wellington, not the 31 October table, to judge Christchurch.
FAQs
When are the Tests in New Zealand?
1st Test: Thursday 19 to Monday 23 November 2026, Basin Reserve, Wellington. 2nd Test: Friday 27 November to Tuesday 1 December 2026, Hagley Oval, Christchurch.
What time do they start in New Zealand?
11:00 AM local daily, toss at 10:30 AM local.
What time is that in India?
3:30 AM IST daily, toss at 3:00 AM IST.
Where can I watch them in New Zealand?
TV: Sky Sport. Streaming: Sky Go and Sky Sport Now, per tour listings.
What are the session times in New Zealand?
Usual pattern, to check on the day: Session 1 11:00 AM-1:00 PM local, Session 2 1:40-3:40 PM local, Session 3 4:00-6:00 PM local.
Where can I watch them in India?
TV: Sony Sports Network. Streaming: SonyLIV, paid subscription required for full live matches.
Is there a reminder set for the 1st Test toss?
An offer to set a reminder in this chat for the 1st Test toss at about 3:00 AM IST on Thursday 19 November was left unanswered. Set your own alarm for 10:15 AM local, 10:30 AM local for the toss, and 10:55 AM local for the first ball.
Verdict
Set up the night before, open Sky Sport at 10:30 AM local for the toss, and watch at 11:00 AM local.
The Tests in New Zealand are an 11:00 AM local start, with a 10:30 AM local toss, at Basin Reserve, Wellington, from 19 to 23 November, and at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, from 27 November to 1 December. That is the whole guide in one line. Set the alarms, test the stream, check the XI at the toss, and check the series situation after Wellington.
For anyone who has seen the phrase King exchange ID in tour coverage, the same rule applies: it is a gaming and betting-related term, not a TV channel, a streaming app, or a start time. The matches are on Sky Sport in New Zealand, with Sky Go and Sky Sport Now for streaming, at 11:00 AM local, with the toss at 10:30 AM local.
Watch the toss, and the rest of the day will make sense.
