Brimming with confidence after a clean-sweep in the Test series, India will look to carry on their dominance over New Zealand when the two teams lock horns in the first cricket One-day International of the five-match series, in Dharamsala on Sunday.
Trent Boult grabbed two wickets on successive balls to help New Zealand to a 12-run win over England in their Twenty20 tri-series match at Wellington Regional Stadium on Tuesday.
A superb 91 by Martin Guptill guided New Zealand to a three-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the third One-Day International at the AMI stadium in Christchurch on Thursday. The victory, which gave the hosts a 3-0 series win, was, however, not as easy as in the first two ODIs, as the tourists, who put up 241 for 9 after being inserted in, were competitive right through.
No Indian cricketer figures in the ICC's World Cup XI, which is dominated by runners-up New Zealand rather than champions Australia.
Ross Taylor's blistering 78 off 52 balls gave New Zealand a five-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the second One-day International and an unassaible 2-0 lead in the three-match series, in Dunedin, on Monday.
The calm, assured manner in which New Zealand chased down South Africa's imposing total on Tuesday to advance to their first cricket World Cup final is a hallmark of a team that has developed into a cohesive unit over the last two years.
'Even when I made 264, I was told I should have made 300. People's expectations are high. Even if you make 300, they expect 350,' said the India opener ahead of Thursday's World Cup semi-final against Australia in Sydney.
New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori made a crucial breakthrough as he clean bowled Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene for a brave 77.
Pakistan will be desperately looking to ensure the painful defeat to India becomes a distant past when they run into an in-form New Zealand in Mohali on Tuesday with an aim to bounce back into the World Twenty20 and pacify their bitter fans back home. Pakistan are coming into the Group 2 Super 10 game having suffered their 11th defeat to the arch-rivals in ICC's world events. The 2009 champions entered the tournament after an early elimination in the Asia Cup. On the other hand, the New Zealanders are on a roll with two massive wins over hosts India and Australia, making them one of the strong contenders to lift the coveted trophy on April 3. Another win and they will be in the knockout stages of the mega-event. New Zealand have emerged as the team to beat after the stunned tournament favourites India first up, before getting the better of traditional rivals Australia in a trans-Tasman battle.
Neesham, a batting all-rounder, rocked the Afghanistan innings by his incisive bowling and in the process returned with his career-best figures of 5/31 from his 10 overs. His earlier best was 4/42.
New Zealand are paying little attention to their World Cup rivals' form in the group stage of the tournament as every team that reaches the knockout rounds have potential match winners in the side, spinner Daniel Vettori said on Sunday.
Latham, who struck a brisk 108 off 97 balls in New Zealand's 33-run win over Board President's XI in the second practice game in Mumbai on Thursday, said the visitors are relying on video footage to study the Indian spinners.
Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma struck scintillating half-centuries during a record 158-run partnership and powered India to a formidable 202 for three.
Uncapped leg spinner Ish Sodhi and all rounder Corey Anderson have been promoted from the New Zealand 'A' team to the full Test squad for a two Test series in Bangladesh in October.
New Zealand cruised to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over England.
Statistical highlights of the opening day's play in the first Test between India and New Zealand at Hamilton on Wednesday.
New Zealand's 2-0 series defeat on home pitches by Australia was a disappointing end to the Brendon McCullum era and showed the Black Caps have work to do if they hope to consistently challenge the top test nations.
Talented youngster Shai Hope smashed his way to a blistering 101 while Andre Russell scored a quickfire 54 down the order to set up a 91-run win for World Cup dark horses West Indies in their warm-up game against New Zealand.
Tom Latham's century and 91 from Kane Williamson put New Zealand firmly in the driving seat with a 151-run lead over Zimbabwe on the second day of the first Test on Friday.
The focus will be on K L Rahul and Vijay Shankar, contenders for the number four slot, in the World Cup warm up match against New Zealand, in London, on Saturday.
New Zealand will play three ODIs, starting with the opening match in Mumbai on October 22. It will be followed by three Twenty20s.
'It is unfair to look at one decision, one ball out of 600-plus on the day and say that was the reason one team won and one team lost.'
India suffered a crushing 103-run defeat to New Zealand, after being shot out for 198 while chasing a mammoth 301 runs, in a warm-up game ahead of the Champions Trophy in Potchefstroom on Sunday.
Captain Kane Williamson and Neil Broom both flirted with centuries as New Zealand cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their third one-day international to complete a 3-0 series sweep at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Saturday.
When the West Indies were overwhelmed by New Zealand's determination...
Recalled batsman Neil Broom scored his maiden one-day century and took two crucial catches as New Zealand completed a 67-run victory over Bangladesh in the second one-day international at Saxton Oval in Nelson on Thursday.
As the curtains fall on another year, Rediff.com brings you all the action from the sports field that defined 2019.
Tillakaratne Dilshan scored his 47th one-day half century to anchor a much-improved Sri Lanka to a morale-boosting eight-wicket victory on Thursday that kept their one-day series against New Zealand alive.
Virat Kohli and Indian cricket remained an enduring love story and Sourav Ganguly held out promise for a path-breaking reign off the field in a year during which the country finally embraced pink ball Tests. There were the heartbreaks, the biggest one being a World Cup semi-final exit, and not to forget the anxious wait on what Mahendra Singh Dhoni might do next after being on a sabbatical for half the year.
Stand-in captain Rohit Sharma Tdescribed India's batting performance as 'one of the worst in a long time' after the visitors were shot out for their seventh lowest ODI total in a shocking eight-wicket loss to New Zealand.
'The real measure that was used for generations was least amount of wickets lost. So why have we changed that?'
To do this on the biggest stage, three years on from that Kolkata classic when Carlos Brathwaite shattered his dreams, is a mark of the man.
While both Taylor and Latham were unable to see their side through to victory, Mitchell Santner, who scored just two from his first nine deliveries then scored another 43 from the next 18, won the game with his fourth six and finished on 45 not out.
The International Cricket Council chief executive Dave Richardson admitted that the balance between bat and ball is shifting too much towards batsmen and the rules might have to be changed to give the bowlers more of a chance.
Rain forced the abandonment of Monday's cricket World Cup warm-up match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe.
Ravindra Jadeja very nearly pulled off a sensational victory with some lusty hits but could not take India home in the last over as the third one-dayer against New Zealand ended in a nail-biting tie to keep the visitors afloat in the five-match series in Auckland on Saturday.
Images from the World Cup match between New Zealand and Pakistan, at Birmingham, on Wednesday.
Carlos Brathwaite struck a brilliant century but West Indies still lost to New Zealand by five runs in a thrilling finish, in the World Cup match, in Manchester, on Saturday.
What differentiates Kane Wiliamson from a lot of batsmen in this day and age is his sole focus is winning the game and he tailors his batting towards that, writes former New Zealand captain in his column.
Mark Gillespie mowed down the top order while Jeetan Patel polished the tail as New Zealand A thumped their Australian counterparts by 129 runs in the first match of the A Team Triangular Series, in Hyderabad on Monday.