Shikhar Dhawan's injury has unintentionally forced India to go for a tactical rejig despite convincing victories in the first two games against South Africa and Australia.
Supremely positive, aggressive and efficient, the Black Caps amply justified their status as the world's third-ranked Test side in a 1-1 draw with their hosts which fluctuated from the first ball to the last. New Zealand are a team to be reckoned with.
IMAGES from the 2nd T20 International played between New Zealand and India in Auckland on Friday
Images from the first T20 International between India and New Zealand in Wellington on Wednesday.
Colin Munro blasted New Zealand's fastest Twenty20 half century to surpass a mark set by Martin Guptill earlier in the innings as the hosts swept their two-match series against Sri Lanka with a nine-wicket win in Auckland on Sunday.
Usman Khawaja's magnificent 174 helped Australia to a dominant 556 for four declared and an imposing lead of 399 at the end of the second day of the first Test against New Zealand on Friday.
Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor got some valuable time at the wicket as New Zealand did what they needed to looking ahead to the World Cup quarter-finals with a six-wicket victory over Afghanistan at McLean Park on Sunday.
'There were bits of pink left, but it was more green than pink by the end' 'It stopped swinging after 10 overs and there was no reverse swing, because both sides got chunked up just as much'
Despite their up and down showing in the league stage, there is no doubt that England are one of the most complete teams in the World Cup and are heavy favourites for Sunday's final, but New Zealand won't give up without a fight.
Former New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori believes a quick start will be crucial to their hopes against India in the first semi-final at Old Trafford.
India crushed New Zealand by 178 runs in the second Test on Monday to clinch the three-match series and reclaim top spot in the world rankings from Pakistan.
'A lot of our recent success has been based on the value of our number six batsman bowling some overs and we're comfortable continuing in that vein'
Hosts New Zealand gave the World Cup a cracking start with a scintillating batting show as they crushed last edition losing finalists Sri Lanka by 98 runs in the opening match of the showpiece event in Christchurch on Saturday.
It was not an ideal preparation, but New Zealand made good use of their time in the middle against a mediocre Mumbai attack on Day 1 of their only warm-up match ahead of the three-Test series against India.
Pace bowler Jackson Bird has been recalled by Australia for the first Test against New Zealand after James Pattinson was deemed not quite ready to stand up to the rigours of a full workload, captain Steve Smith said on Thursday.
Rookie all-rounder Mitchell Santner and veteran Grant Elliott have been rewarded for their recent strong performances by being included in New Zealand's list of centrally contracted players on Wednesday.
Team India has two members - MS Dhoni and Ishant Sharma - of that victorious 2009 side returning to New Zealand for the One-Day International series, which commences on Sunday. The hosts, however, are almost a completely overhauled unit. The teams may not appear equal on paper but the home advantage is something than should benefit New Zealand. Rajneesh Gupta presents a statistical lowdown of the teams ahead of tour opener in Napier.
Defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad will start favourites when they take on the struggling-for-survival Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League match, in Mohali, on Thursday.
Their confidence restored after a bumpy start, a transformed Delhi Daredevils will look to stretch Kings XI Punjab to the limit when they face off in the Indian Premier League (IPL), in New Delhi, on Saturday.
India dished out a dominating performance to crush New Zealand by 90 runs as spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal yet again tormented the home batsmen.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji identify the Most Valuable Players of World Cup 2019.
Opener Colin Munro hammered an unbeaten 109 before the Kiwi bowlers straitjacketed the Indian batsmen as New Zealand outplayed the hosts by 40 runs in the second Twenty20 to level the three-match series, in Rajkot on Saturday.
Star India batsman Virat Kohli was on Monday named Ceat T20 Player of the Year while former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at a glittering function attended by several past and present players in Mumbai. England batsman Joe Root was named as the Ceat International Cricketer of the Year as well as International Batsman of the Year. India off-spinner R Ashwin won the Ceat International Bowler of the Year award while Rohit Sharma was named as the Indian Cricketer of the Year. Kohli has been in the form of his life in the shortest format recently as he was named as Player-of-the-Tournament in the World T20 held in India earlier this year and won the orange cap for amassing the most runs of 973 in 16 matches in the just-concluded IPL-9.
Captain Virat Kohli credited India's first ever win over New Zealand in T20 International to the clinical show by both his batsmen and bowlers.
Ashish Nehra running into bowl one last time at a place where it all began will form the sub plot as India aim to better their abysmal T20 record against New Zealand in the three-match series starting in New Delhi, on Wednesday.
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.
Shikhar Dhawan heaped praise on pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who played a key role in India's victory in the second ODI with three for 45.
Williamson's departure for 59 helped reduce New Zealand to 142 for three at the break -- 361 runs in arrears -- but a rain storm wiped out the final session and ensured the match would go into a fifth day.
Batting first, Board President's XI made 295 for 9 in 50 overs and then bowled out the tourists for 265 in 47.4 overs.
New Zealand will not be shelving the aggressive game that has taken them through the pool stage.
Hosts England lock horns with New Zealand at the Riverside with both sides knowing that victory would secure their passage.
Defending IPL champions Mumbai Indians have been hit hard by the Bombay High Court decision to shift all their home games out of the Wankhede Stadium, but the side were focused only on the game, according to wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel.
New Zealand will face England with an unchanged side in their second World Cup match.
590 cricketers -- including 370 Indian players and 220 overseas players -- will go under the hammer during the two-day mega auction in Bengaluru on February 12 and 13.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum ended his One-Day International career with a series victory over Australia on Monday with his side sealing a 55-run win in the deciding third match at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
Players with the maximum work load in 2015.
A hobbling Kane Williamson guided New Zealand to 142 for five at the close of play on the third day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Hamilton, with the hosts needing another 47 runs to seal a 2-0 series sweep.
Trent Boult took two quick wickets after lunch to help New Zealand complete a 122-run victory over Sri Lanka on the fifth day of the first Test at University Oval in Dunedin on Monday.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji identify the Most Valuable Players at World Cup 2019.
With a new cricket director, coach and chairman, England return to the field of play in the first Test against New Zealand on Thursday following an extraordinary period of upheaval.