Cricket-Windies win toss, to bowl against New Zealand

(Adds details, quotes) * West Indies' Shillingford to play after action studied * Redmond back in New Zealand side after five-year absence Dec 3 (Reuters) - West Indies captain Darren Sammy won the toss and chose to bowl on a green wicket in the first test against New Zealand at University Oval in Dunedin on Tuesday. "I've never seen so much grass on a wicket and hopefully we can exploit it and put the batsmen under pressure," Sammy said of the pitch and overcast conditions. The visitors still only picked two front-line fast bowlers in Tino Best and Shannon Gabriel with Sammy to provide the third pace option, while off spinner Shane Shillingford was included. Shillingford had been under a selection cloud following bio-mechanical analysis of his action in Perth after being reported to the International Cricket Council. Coach Ottis Gibson was wary of picking the 30-year-old after he said the testing had been tough mentally for Shillingford and part-time spinner Marlon Samuels, who was also under scrutiny. Samuels was also selected but will play primarily as a batsman, with Kieran Powell and Kirk Edwards opening for West Indies after Chris Gayle was ruled out of the three-match series with a hamstring injury. Kraigg Brathwaite was also still waiting to join the team after visa issues, though Sammy was confident West Indies could overcome those issues as well as illness and fatigue among the players after half the side arrived from India at the weekend. "Before India we won six (tests) in a row and two of those were against New Zealand and we are looking to continue our streak against them," Sammy said of their test record before they lost both matches in India. "But we know they're a difficult side to beat at home." New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said he would have bowled if he had won the toss. "It's one of those wickets which can play pretty nicely early on," McCullum said of his home ground. "It does look a touch green but hopefully our boys can get a good score on the board and get ourselves in the game later on." REDMOND RECALLED Top order batsman Aaron Redmond has been recalled to the New Zealand side after a five-year absence and will bat at number three in place of Kane Williamson, who is still recovering from a broken thumb. Corey Anderson has recovered from a rib injury and will play the all-rounder role and bat at number six while 21-year-old leg spinner Ish Sodhi was chosen to make his first test appearance in New Zealand, despite the green wicket, after impressive displays on debut in Bangladesh in October. "Ish does get a run," McCullum said when asked if they had considered a last-minute change to the side they named on Monday when they saw the pitch, with perhaps Doug Bracewell playing as a fourth seamer instead of Sodhi. "We're very excited about Ish. He bowled very nicely in Bangladesh and we think he's a great talent." Teams New Zealand: Peter Fulton, Hamish Rutherford, Aaron Redmond, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum (captain), Corey Anderson, BJ Watling, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult West Indies: Kieran Powell, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy (captain), Shane Shillingford, Tino Best, Shannon Gabriel (Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Ken Ferris)