'We've put ourselves in this situation but hopefully the Sri Lankans can do the job for us.'
Ahead of their five-match one-day series against the visiting Indian team, New Zealand bowling coach Shane Bond has asked his boys to rise up to the challenge of facing the world's number one ODI team and put them under pressure by winning the first game on Sunday.
New Zealand's combination of quality spin bowling and sharp fielding gives them a good chance of winning a maiden T20 World Cup title in Australia this year, in-form batsman Glenn Phillips said.
New Zealand was warned of a "specific, credible threat" against its team, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said, elaborating on the rationale for abruptly abandoning the tour of Pakistan as the squad reached Dubai on Sunday.
Australia gelled superbly during last year's triumph in the United Arab Emirates and 14 of that 15-man squad will bid for back-to-back titles
Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam finally found their scoring touch with half centuries in a 105-run stand to lay the foundation for victory.
A victory at Hagley Oval to seal a 2-0 series sweep would also push the Black Caps firmly into contention for one of two berths in June's inaugural ICC World Test Championship final at Lord's.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on Sunday praised his bowlers for setting the tone for their eight-wicket win over Afghanistan, which paved the way for their entry into the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
When New Zealand toured Pakistan last September threats were sent out to the team social media handle.
Bangladesh's first win in any format of the game in New Zealand gave them a 1-0 lead in the two-match series
Tom Latham led the side against Bangladesh and South Africa in Williamson's absence.
New Zealand have shown they are the strongest team across all formats of the game after reaching the final of the Twenty20 World Cup, former England captain Michael Atherton said.
The win also pushed the Black Caps firmly into contention for one of two berths in June's inaugural World Test Championship final at Lord's.
'I think there's a lot of other people that had England and India in the final right from the start, so I think Australia will be proud of their efforts as well.'
New Zealand have a team capable of winning the T20 World Cup.
Australia captain Aaron Finch says he is more likely than not to play in Friday's crunch Twenty20 World Cup Super 12 match against Afghanistan, despite suffering a hamstring strain on Tuesday.
The two-match series ended in a 1-1 draw, with England having won the first Test in Mount Maunganui by 267 runs.
A series clean sweep in sight, the Indian team is unlikely to tinker with its batting line-up tough skipper Rohit Sharma could be tempted to look at some of his bowling options during the final ODI against Sri Lanka, in Thiruvananthapuram, on Sunday.
Kane Williamson is aware that spin is a "big component" in a Test series in India and expects his specialist slow bowlers -- left-arm orthodox Ajaz Patel and off-spinner William Somerville -- to adapt to the conditions quickly and make a difference.
India are set for a T20 appetizer ahead of their marquee Test series against Australia when they face the touring New Zealand in a three-match series, beginning in Ranchi, on Friday.
New Zealand, on the other hand, will be eager to grab a consolation win to boost their morale.
Ishan Kishan had to sit out of the Sri Lanka series despite scoring the fastest double hundred in the history of ODIs against Bangladesh.
New Zealand thrashed reigning champions Australia by 89 runs in a rematch of last year's final
Kyle Jamieson is the highest paid New Zealander and fourth highest in the IPL's 14-year history.
Taylor, presented with a traditional Samoan necklace, thanked the NZC and his team mates.
Pace bowler Trent Boult was among six Black Caps players making a low-key homecoming at Auckland airport, soaking up commiserations from a few fans and well-wishers.
A look at how the teams in Group 1 placed at the end of the Super 12 stage in the T20 World Cup.
Rishabh Pant's stunning knock of 146 may have put them on the back-foot, but England's assistant coach Paul Collingwood said the home team is not "scared" and will fight back in the rescheduled fifth Test in Birmingham.
Mukesh got wickets with the new (4.3 overs), semi-new (35.3 overs) and old ball (57.4 overs)
New Zealand's drubbing of India was hailed as one of their best in Black Caps' history by the media. New Zealand head into their next match in Christchurch, starting Saturday, with the chance of claiming a rare Test series sweep over India.
History is going to be made on Sunday, regardless of the result in the ICC Men's Cricket Word Cup final at Lord's. Neither England nor New Zealand have ever tasted victory on the big stage before so there will be a new name on the trophy tonight.
Saurabh Kumar grabbed five wickets to play a big role in India 'A's series clinching 113-run victory
India will not be touring New Zealand later in the year due to a packed calendar and COVID-19 related restrictions. India would have had to quarantine for 14 days to play three ODIs as part of the World Cup Super League.
Chennai Super Kings' IPL-winning head coach Stephen Fleming on Saturday joined the New Zealand camp for a short stint to help the Kiwis prepare themselves for the T20 World Cup.
Luck has been a major factor in teams progressing to the semi-finals. With rain gods intervening, the equations in both groups changed a bit. There was a lot of permutations and combinations that saw England, India, New Zealand and Pakistan progress:
Home captain Williamson also praised the "special effort from" team man Wagner.
Stand-in White Ferns captain Amy Satterthwaite was named the women's ODI Player of the Year, after taking some time off to have a baby and returning to the fold to score 304 runs at 38, including a top score of 119 not-out against England in Dunedin.
Images from the first T20 International between India and New Zealand, in Ranchi, on Friday.
IMAGES from the 3rd ODI played between India and New Zealand in Indore on Tuesday.
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