'With this wicket, the best method of attack against the Indian side is to roll out another seamer'
New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum was a relieved man after his decision to not enforce the follow-on proved fruitful, as they beat India by 40 runs in the 1st Test in Auckland on Sunday.
Rajneesh Gupta presents record by each country and players against India.
Images from Day 1 of the first Test between India and New Zealand, at Auckland, on Thursday.
Delighted after drubbing India 4-0 in the just-concluded ODI series, New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum has called it a ground-breaking triumph for his side and the most satisfying of his career so far.
As the prestigious Ashes gets underway, here's a look at the milestones that can be achieved.
Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, has said the wickets of Virat Kohli and Dhoni proved crucial in the second one-dayer against India at Seddon Park, Hamilton.
No Indian cricketer figures in the ICC's World Cup XI, which is dominated by runners-up New Zealand rather than champions Australia.
England's phenomenal success in white-ball cricket has forced rivals to consider different set of players and coaches for the limited overs game and Tests but New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson feels only a team with a big talent pool can afford to take that route.
India will have to contend with some hostile and aggressive fast bowling in the first One-dayer, New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum warned on Saturday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore pacers blew away the Mumbai Indians' top order before shining in the death overs to set up a much-needed 14-run win, which kept them alive in the Indian Premier League Play-offs race, in Bengaluru, on Tuesday.
Record-breaking batsman Aaron Finch thinks a first win in any format in six months will give Australia a huge dose of much-needed confidence after the disappointment of the Ashes defeat.
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav has sustained a serious knee injury and is likely to miss most of the domestic season, having already come back to India with his IPL campaign in the UAE cut short.
Venkatesh Iyer's 88-run partnership from just 52 balls for the second wicket with Rahul Tripathi had sealed the contest in KKR's favour.
Alastair Cook did not quite agree his side may have the momentum from the drawn first Test against New Zealand as they head into the second on Thursday though his assertion they were growing in confidence sent an ominous warning to Brendon McCullum's team.
New Zealand cruised to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over England.
Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni defended his decision of not using Ravichandran Ashwin.
Kiwi star Brendon McCullum must have given nightmare to many bowlers around the world during his international playing days. The former New Zealand captain, who recently retired from international cricket, named the four toughest bowlers he found difficult to face against during his 14-year dream career. "Murali (Sri Lanka champion Muthiah Muralitharan) was always, for me, incredibly difficult to face, mainly because you had no idea which way it was spinning," McCullum told Star Sports. "Brad Hogg, as well, because of his uncanny bowling action and his ability to turn it both ways. "I think Brett Lee when he was in his pomp. He was fast, wasn't he? "And probably Mitchell Starc too of more recent times."
Statistical highlights of the second day's play in the first Test played between India and New Zealand in Hyderabad on Friday.
Skipper Kane Williamson smashed his fourth Test double-hundred while Henry Nicholls and Daryl Mitchell notched up centuries to fuel New Zealand's bid for a 2-0 series sweep
India has played New Zealand in four T20 games. Guess how many India won?
The 21-year-old had limited opportunity to showcase his skills in the last edition, but this time Kolkata Knight Riders coach Brendon McCullum has already given the opener's slot to him.
Images from the Champions League T20 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Otago Volts in Mohali, on Friday.
Images from the CLT20 match between Faisalabad Wolves and Otago Volts in Mohali on Tuesday.
Virat Kohli's unbeaten 56 off 47 balls, Yuvraj Singh's explosive 35 off 18 balls and a clinical bowling performance helped India edge out Sri Lanka by five wickets to storm into the final of Asia Cup. Kohli also equalled the record of Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum of most number of 50's in T20 cricket.
Aaron Finch scored 156 off just 63 balls against England to set a new World record for the highest individual innings in Twenty20 internationals. The record for the highest score in T20s, though, belongs to Chris Gayle, who slammed 175 not out for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 6.
Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis conceded that the Indian Premier League has helped South Africa's master blaster AB de Villiers and New Zealand's Brendon McCullum, saying they have matured by playing in the lucrative Twenty20 tournament.
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.
England captain Alastair Cook was acutely aware that his side had narrowly avoided an embarrassing first test loss to New Zealand in Dunedin on Sunday and that the series may be more competitive than they first thought.
Persistent rain forced the abandonment of the first day's play of the first cricket Test between New Zealand and England at Dunedin's University Oval on Wednesday.
James Pattinson has been recalled to Australia' starting side for the second Test against New Zealand on Saturday, replacing his injured Victorian team mate Peter Siddle.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum led from the front on Tuesday to help the Black Caps defeat England by five runs in an high-scoring Twenty20 international at the Oval on Tuesday.
Former New Zealand cricket captain Ross Taylor will take the first tentative steps to rejoin the national setup after being named in a New Zealand XI on Wednesday to face England in two Twenty20 matches.
New Zealand is all set to bring back Brendon McCullum as an opening batsman for the two-Test series against India starting on Thursday in Hyderabad.
New Zealand will go with a four-seamer attack and will not risk spinner Daniel Vettori for the second and final Test against England starting at Headingley on Friday, captain Brendon McCullum said.
Opener Chris Lynn steered KKR home with an unbeaten innings of 62 from 52 balls. He was dropped on seven by Murugan Ashwin off the bowling of Yuzvendra Chahal, in the fourth over, and that proved a costly miss for RCB.
New Zealand Cricket has publicly apologised to Ross Taylor for its poor handling of the former captain's demotion.
A galvanised New Zealand head to Britain on Monday determined to finish off a job they came so close to completing in a thrilling climax to their drawn test series against Alastair Cook's England at home last month.
Chris Gayle smashed the most breathtaking knock in the history of Twenty20 cricket, blasting an incredible 175 off a mere 66 balls, as Royal Challengers Bangalore crushed a hapless Pune Warriors by a record 130 runs in the Pepsi Indian Premier League.
Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina are the two Indians to figure in the list of top 10 in ICC Player Rankings for T20I batsmen, while India continue to hold onto the number three slot in the teams category, issued in Dubai.
