Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who tormented the New Zealand batsmen with his five-for, said it was Kane Williamson's dismissal by R Ashwin in the morning session which proved to be a game-changer for the hosts. Ashwin bowled a peach of a delivery to clean bowl the Kiwi captain as India reduced the visitors from overnight 152 for one to 238 for five by lunch on day three of the first Test at Green Park.
India's batting sensation Virat Kohli, named player of the tournament, is also the most valuable player of World T20 2016. With a fifty and two wickets, England's Joe Root is just behind him.
While BCCI, as of now, will not give up its hosting rights and wait how the COVID-19 situation in India pans out, there is very little chance that countries will want to travel to India which is facing its worst health emergency since independence.
Panesar also expects the ICC to prepare a neutral wicket and not a green top as the WTC is supposed to be a good advert for the five-day game.
The below-par Test record of Rohit Sharma is expected to be the focus of discussion when the selection committee, headed by Sandeep Patil, picks the Indian cricket squad for the home Test series against New Zealand . Despite Rohit's poor form in the Tests, he has the confidence of captain Virat Kohli, who feels that the ODI specialist should be given a longer run to prove himself in the Test format.
New Zealand seamer Doug Bracewell is a doubt for the first Test against England, which starts in Dunedin on Wednesday, after cutting his foot on glass when cleaning up after a house party.
England and Australia are slated to lock horns against each other in the Ashes later this year. England would be squaring off against New Zealand and India in the longest format before the Ashes.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said the pitch for the third Test between India and South Africa was unfair on the batsmen and called for ICC's intervention into the matter.
New Zealand are hoping to give a better account of themselves when they take on the Indian Board President's XI in the final warm-up game on Thursday before the first One-Day International, in Mumbai on October 22.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson would have liked to have had more Test cricket this season after series victories over West Indies and England in the four red-ball matches they were able to host.
Kolkata Knight Riders coach Brendon McCullum says it is also comforting to be at home as the world battles a pandemic, which has made isolation the new normal. He said the situation demands that everyone stays at home and maintains social distancing, the only way to curb the spread of the virus, which has caused thousands of deaths worldwide.
Captain Joe Root was dismissed off the last ball of the fourth day moments after he had been struck on the hand by a Trent Boult bouncer to put New Zealand firmly in the driving seat to win the rain-affected first Test at Eden Park.
Dean Elgar made the most of being dropped early in his innings to score his seventh Test century and anchor South Africa's 229 for four at the close of play on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in Dunedin on Wednesday.
Sachin Tendulkar led the cricketing fraternity in lauding the fighting spirit of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja in the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
Did Virat Kohli deserve to be replaced as India's ODI captain? Rajneesh Gupta presents all the numbers.
South Africa captain AB de Villiers calmly guided his side to a tense four-wicket victory over New Zealand with one ball to spare in a rain-affected first one-day international in Hamilton on Sunday.
Boult took 6-33 as Australia, who only needed to square the series to retain the trophy, were dismissed for 257 on the final ball of the 47th over as they chased New Zealand's 281 for nine.
A resilient New Zealand twice came back from behind to beat a fighting Canada 3-2 in a Pool A opening match of the hockey World Cup at Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Monday.
Star all-rounder Ben Stokes had sneaked off for a "cigarette break" in order to calm his nerves ahead of the Super Over during last year's epic World Cup final against New Zealand, an anecdote which finds mention in a new book on England's triumph.
In order to raise the ever dwindling number of spectators in the stadium, the BCCI is all set to host its first-ever Day/Night cricket Test with pink ball when New Zealand tour India later this year. "We have decided that we will play one Day/Night Test match with pink ball against New Zealand later this year. Before that Duleep Trophy will act as a dress rehearsal for the Day/Night Test match," BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur told a select gathering of mediapersons at the BCCI's headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday. Thakur said that the main objective of the Duleep Trophy will be to check how the pink kookaburra behaves under the light in sub-continental conditions. "While we have not zeroed in on the venue, there are lots of factors that need to be taken into account. Things like dew factor, how the spinners bowl with the pink kookaburra on Indian pitches. These things we will get an idea during the Duleep Trophy," said Thakur.
In India, 29 positive cases have been reported so far, including 16 Italian tourists. New Zealand Cricket said that the cricket board is in constant touch with the country's health, foreign affairs and sports ministry to get regular updates which will ensure health safety for its players.
A jumbo Pakistan squad, led by Babar Azam, arrived in New Zealand on Tuesday and is serving a mandatory 14-day quarantine period as per COVID-19 protocol.
Overall, India enjoy a wonderful against the Kiwis in Tests, having won 18 matches out of 52, but have clinched victory in only five games out of 21 in New Zealand.
Swashbuckling former India opener Virender Sehwag has picked India, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies as the teams which will make the semifinals of the World T20 starting in India on March 8. Sehwag has already picked hosts India as favourites to win the coveted title for the second time. "Apart from India I would pick New Zealand in their group. The teams to watch out from other group will be South Africa and West Indies. India remain favourites to repeat the feat of 2007. They are playing good cricket at the moment and the combinations are working well," Sehwag told PTI on the sidelines of the Royal Stag Perfect Strokes event. India are yet to lose to Pakistan in a world event and of late have had an upper hand over the arch-rivals. The two teams meet again in the mouthwatering World T20 clash in Dharamsala on March 19. What is the reason for India's recent dominance over Pakistan? Sehwag said: "It is difficult to pinpoint a reason but to put it simply, India is playing much better cricket than Pakistan and we have better talent than Pakistan."
Darren Bravo provided stubborn resistance to New Zealand's bowlers bringing up his maiden Test double century to ensure West Indies made the hosts bat again and sent the first Test at University Oval in Dunedin into a fifth and final day.
Australia's World Cup loss to New Zealand was disappointing but no wake-up call, according to captain Michael Clarke, who said his team remains full of confidence despite the frustrating start to their campaign.
Statistical highlights of the fifth and final ODI between India and New Zealand.
New Zealand beat India by 19 runs in the fourth one-day international to level the five-match series at 2-2 as the hosts suffered a mid-innings collapse at Ranchi on Wednesday. - Scorecard: Chasing 261 for a series clinching win, India were all out for 241 with eight balls to spare. Opener Ajinkya Rahane's fluent 57 put India on course for the chase and the right-handed batsman added 79 for the second wicket with the in-form Virat Kohli (45).
Cricket became an analogy to highlight the warm ties between India and New Zealand as Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and John Key drew references from the game to stress on the progress made in their bilateral equation.
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Australia beat New Zealand by 17 runs in the second ODI to square the best-of-three series at 1-1.
Premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will be in focus alongside speedster Mohammed Shami when defending champions India take on New Zealand on Sunday in their opening warm-up game ahead of the Champions Trophy in London.
India's first Test series victory in New Zealand in 41 years on Tuesday highlighted the hosts' battle with inconsistencies that have haunted their Test performances in recent years.
A battle of attrition is on cards as India and New Zealand set out to achieve different goals in the third and final Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Friday.
The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) is going ahead with preparations for the third and final Test between India and New Zealand, scheduled to be held at the Holkar Stadium in Indore from October 8-12, a top official of the state body said on Tuesday.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has returned to the side for their must-win fourth one-day international against India on Wednesday after the birth of his first child.
Riding on Rohit Sharma's fluent 82, India emerged stronger in the battle of attrition against a gritty New Zealand to take complete control of the second cricket Test by grabbing a 339-run lead, on day three of the second Test at Eden Gardens on Sunday.
The fifth and final ODI between Australia and New Zealand was called off because of heavy rain during the latter's chase, leaving the series tied 2-2. In a 22-over affair, Australia scored 168 for 4 before rain again intervened during New Zealand's run-chase. Their target was revised to 156 from 20 overs, but, with no let up, the match was eventually called off after the 14th over, with the visitors 123 for 6, needing 33 off six overs.
New Zealand Cricket has banned a spectator from attending international and domestic games in the country for two years after he admitted racially abusing England fast bowler Jofra Archer.