Skipper Williamson cleared to play; spinner Patel included in 15-man squad
Kohli congratulated Watling as both India and New Zealand stepped out to the field on the Reserve Day of the ongoing WTC final
Former New Zealand spinner John Bracewell believes charismatic batter Devon Conway has caught the 'Kane Williamson bug' to keep learning from past mistakes and making rapid improvements.
BJ Watling will be retiring from international cricket after the tour of England.
The Indian-born 29-year-old, New Zealand's top domestic wicket-taker in the past three seasons, replaces all-rounder Mitchell Santner who is still recovering from knee surgery.
New Zealand, on Monday, recalled temperamental all-rounder Corey Anderson for the five-match ODI series against India next month and he will play as a specialist batsman.
New Zealand, who made 249 in the first innings, were undone by the Sri Lankan spinners in their second spell as well.
England finished day two on 111-2 and trail New Zealand by 267 runs in the first innings of the first Test after Devon Conway's double ton took the game away from the home side on Thursday.
Apart from Kohli, four other Indians who were picked in the ICC's Test and ODI Teams of the Year.
Mayank Agarwal scored his fourth Test half-century as India inched to 78-2 at tea on the third day of Trent Boult followed up his counter-attacking cameo innings of 38 to take three wickets, including that of Virat Kohli, to put New Zealand on top against India at the end of the third day of the first test on Sunday. Trent Boult followed up his counter-attacking cameo innings of 38 to take three wickets, including that of Virat Kohli, to put New Zealand on top against India at the end of the third day of the first test on Sunday. The visitors, who had not lost any of their seven previous International Cricket Council World Test Championship matches, were 144-4 at the close of play at the Basin Reserve, still 39 runs behind and staring at their potential first defeat.
New Zealand skittled Sri Lanka out for 122 on Monday to secure a series-levelling victory by an innings and 65 runs on the final day of a rain-hit second and final Test in Colombo.
Captain Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor combined to put New Zealand in a strong position in the first Test before India struck back late on Saturday to remove both just as their partnership threatened to take the match away from the tourists. Images from Day 2 of the first Test between New Zealand and India in Wellington on Saturday.
Most of the Test squad and staff had been transferred to hotel quarantine where they will warm up for the two-Test series against England
With Kane Williamson likely to miss the Test, New Zealand will have a lot of work to do in the 3rd Test in Sydney.
Kane Williamson and BJ Watling produced a world record sixth wicket partnership of 365 runs to guide New Zealand to 524 for five before captain Brendon McCullum declared their second innings closed after tea on the fourth day of the second Test.
A tenth-wicket stand of 127 between BJ Watling (103) and Trent Boult (52 not out) helped New Zealand to a first innings total of 469 on the second day of the opening match in a two-Test series against Bangladesh on Thursday.
Brendon McCullum was on 281, his highest Test score and the second highest by a New Zealander, at the close of play on Day 4 after having shared a world record stand of 352 runs for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper BJ Watling who made 124.
Images from the Day 4 of the second and final Test between New Zealand and India, at the Basin Reserve, in Wellington, on Monday.
An exhausted Brendon McCullum stood on the cusp of history on Monday after he had saved the second Test against India and set up his side up for a tilt at what would be an astounding victory on the fifth and final day.
The cricketing cliche of taking each ball on its merit and then switching off to deal with the next was never more appropriate on Monday as Brendon McCullum and BJ Watling batted New Zealand into a strong position in the second Test against India.
BJ Watling scored the first Test century on Bay Oval as New Zealand established a 41-run lead against England on Saturday, reaching 394-6 at the close of the third day of the first Test in Mt. Maunganui.
England, chasing 455 to pull off the highest successful run chase in Test history, reached 44 for no wicket at the close on a rain-hit fourth day of the second and final match of the series against New Zealand on Monday.
England's bowlers have plenty to ponder ahead of the first test after a New Zealand XI chased down a steep target for a three-wicket win in the tourists' only warm-up match in Queensland on Saturday.
Left-handed batsman Henry Nicholls is in line to make his Test debut against Australia next week with Ross Taylor ruled out of the side for the match at the Basin Reserve with a side strain.
Captain Kane Williamson returns to the side after missing the second Test
The 29-year-old left-hander was on 117 with Kyle Jamieson on one at stumps at the Basin Reserve.
Leg-spinner Amit Mishra picked up his second five-wicket haul in one-day internationals as India skittled New Zealand for 79 to win the final match by 190 runs in Visakhapatnam on Saturday for a 3-2 series victory.
New Zealand highlighted the gulf in international cricket when they bowled Zimbabwe out twice on Saturday to win the only Test match of their tour at McLean Park in Napier by an innings and 301 runs.
Martin Guptill hit his second Test century to put New Zealand in firm control of their one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club on Tuesday.
New Zealand named uncapped wicketkeeper Reece Young in their 13-man squad for the home Test series against Pakistan. Gareth Hopkins makes way for Young after failing to impress on the Black Caps' recent tour of India.
Pakistan were dismissed for 271, chasing a victory target of 372, with 4.3 overs remaining in the Test at Bay Oval.
Sri Lanka got off to a strong start in their chase for a 268-run victory target after skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne frustrated New Zealand with a 133-run opening stand on Day 4 of the first Test.
New Zealand middle-order batsman Peter Fulton has paid the price for a poor run of form. He has been dropped from the national squad for the third and final Test against Pakistan.
'There's no secret we're right in the hunt for the World Test Championship final following our two-nil win over India and having Trent and Kane fully fit and focussed for the upcoming series will be crucial.'
Kane Williamson inched towards his ninth Test century as he and BJ Watling staved off Sri Lanka's push for victory at the close of play on the third day of the second Test at the Basin Reserve on Monday.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has withdrawn from the second Test against West Indies and returned home to be with his pregnant wife, coach Gary Stead said on Thursday.
The International Cricket Council approved rule changes that allow players to be replaced if they are feeling unwell or display COVID-19 symptoms and then return to the game if tests are negative.
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Pakistan were 30-1 at stumps on Day 2, still 401 runs behind New Zealand's 431 in the first innings.
New Zealand's batting tail wagged to take them to 403 in their first innings before they returned to dismiss Pakistan's openers on the second day of the second Test in Dubai on Tuesday.
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