Half centuries from Colin de Grandhomme and B J Watling gave New Zealand a first-innings lead of 138 against Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the second and final Test in Colombo on Sunday.
The MCG is under pressure to ensure a safe pitch ahead of the Boxing day Test.
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.
"I think it was going fine until the six ... Stokes told me before the over 'win or lose, today doesn't define you. Everyone believes in you'," Barbados-born Archer, who made his England debut in May, told reporters.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson speaks about the much-anticipated ICC World Test Championship final between his team and India.
Mayank Agarwal finally found some form going his way and Rishabh Pant mixed caution with his customary aggression as India's warm-up fixture against New Zealand XI ended in a draw, in Hamilton, on Sunday.
The visitors were 38 for one in 14 overs at the draw of stumps on day three. Ravikumar Samarth (27 not out) and Ankit Bawne (5 not out) were on the crease after Abhimanyu Easwaran was dismissed in the seventh over.
Skipper Abhinav Mukund smashed an unbeaten century in the second innings as the second unofficial Test between India A and New Zealand A ended in a drab draw, in Lincoln.
All eyes will be on Yuvraj Singh when he captains India A, a team on a roll after the clean sweep against New Zealand A, in an ODI series against the West Indies A starting in Bangalore on Sunday.
Pooran was last seen in action for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in the IPL, scoring 353 runs from 14 matches.
A first T20 series victory in New Zealand will be the icing on the cake for the Men in Blue, who have far exceeded expectations during their three-month sojourn in this part of the world.
IMAGES from the first ODI played between New Zealand and India at Napier
A couple of losses for hosts England has only brightened the 1992 winners' prospects of a semi-final berth.
Former Australia captain Steve Smith says competing in the IPL has immensely enhanced his preparation for the upcoming 50 overs' World Cup.
Hanuma Vihari said he won't mind taking up the opener's role if the team management asks after India's inexperienced opening options were technically exposed by a second-string New Zealand XI attack on the opening day of the warm-up game in Hamilton, on Friday. Coming in at No. 6, Vihari scored a hundred but Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill were dismissed early, undone by the extra bounce and seam movement during the match against New Zealand XI.
Cricket Advisory Committee will decide on the head coach, the selectors have been tasked to conduct interviews for the rest of the support staff.
Opting to bat after winning the toss, India A declared their first innings after some useful contributions from the lower-order batsmen. The visitors were 340 for five at stumps on the opening day at the Bay Oval.
New Zealand picked two uncapped players in all-rounder Daryl Mitchell and pacer Blair Tickner for the three-match T20 International series against India.
Rohit, who has made a comeback to the Test side, will now leave for Australia with India's T20 squad on Friday.
Images from the World Cup match between Australia and New Zealand at Lord's on Saturday.
Power-hitting left hander Colin Munro is likely to open New Zealand's innings with Martin Guptill on the limited-overs tour of India, with Tom Latham dropping down the order, coach Mike Hesson has said.
Trent Boult needed just 15 balls to change the complexion of the second Test against Sri Lank
Ganguly is one of the 11 members of the world cricket committee, chaired by Mike Brearley of MCC, which announced the new Laws of Cricket, to be incorporated in the ICC Playing Conditions.
Leggie Ish Sodhi will replaced the injured Todd Astle in New Zealand's squad for the three-match One-Day International series against India, commencing in Mumbai on October 22.
Vihari, who had kept his base price at Rs 50 lakh, found himself in the unsold bracket.
A batch of New Zealand cricketers arrived in Mumbai on Friday for their forthcoming limited overs tour of India, commencing on October 22.
Indian openers have not replicated the kind of starts the Indian batting has grown accustomed to from its top-order.
Part-time spinners Ish Sodhi and Martin Guptill bagged three wickets each as Zimbabwe folded on the final day of the second test to hand New Zealand a comprehensive 254-run victory on Wednesday. New Zealand won the two-match series 2-0 after bowling Zimbabwe out for 132 in their second innings, though the home side were also hampered by poor umpiring decisions.
Some of their bowling and fielding frailties exposed in the series-opener, India will aim for quick course correction when they take on a resurgent New Zealand in a must-win second ODI, in Auckland, on Saturday. India find themselves in a familiar situation after the loss in Hamilton. But the visitors have come from behind against the West Indies and Australia to win their last two ODI series and Virat Kohli's men will aim to do the same against the Kiwis.
Virat Kohli inflicted more Super Overs misery on New Zealand as he helped India to a second successive victory in sudden death to win the fourth Twenty20 international in Wellington on Friday. Images from the fourth T20 International between New Zealand and India in Wellington on Friday.
If India's net session on Wednesday is taken into consideration, Wriddhiman Saha is starting as the wicketkeeper ahead of Rishabh Pant for the series opener beginning on Friday.
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza admitted that there will be pressure on his side ahead of their maiden semi-final appearance in a global event but quantum of expectation is manifold from India which has a huge cricket following.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Sunday
Ross Taylor became New Zealand's highest scorer in One-Day Internationals on Wednesday as he helped his side secure an 88-run victory over Bangladesh in Dunedin in their final official ODI before the World Cup.
BCCI first named named Rajasthan medium pacer Deepak Chahar in the Board President's XI squad for the warm-up games against New Zealand only to replace him with cousin Rahul, who is a leg-spinner.
'It's not really a surprise (the rule was changed). I genuinely think that no one ever thought that was going to happen and it did'
Rahane spoke on a host of issues with regards to the upcoming New Zealand tour where the current team has a good chance of emulating the class of 2009 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy.
The former India captain was dismissed for only six in the second essay as New Zealand A won the four-day match by 133 runs.
Sourav Ganguly failed to get the match practice that he desperately sought ahead of the opening Test against Australia after being dismissed for just 14 runs but India A recovered from a shaky start to post 162 for three in their first innings on the second day of the four-day match against New Zealand A in Chennai on Saturday.
The victory was New Zealand's fifth Test series win in succession and all the more remarkable with the entire first two days of play washed out.
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