Former Australian captain, Ian Chappell, one of the game's biggest analysts for many years now, believes India has been well served by fast bowlers such as Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum won the toss and elected to field in the third one-day international against India at Lancaster Park, Christchurch on Sunday. McCullum has replaced regular captain Daniel Vettori, who has left the team to be present at the birth of his first child in Auckland.
Fast bowler Ian Buttler's impressive showing in the just-concluded Twenty20 internationals earned him a place in New Zealand's One-day team, after a hiatus of five years, for the first three games of the five-match series against India, starting March 3. Apart from Buttler, Kyle Mills also made a comeback to the ODI squad after a two-week injury lay-off to augment an already lethal Kiwi pace battery, led by Iain O'Brien, Butler and Tim Southee.
New Zealand paceman Southee ruled out; Proteas 'keeper De Kock doubtful starter
With unbeaten New Zealand having already qualified for the World Cup quarter-finals, attention is focussing on the side's four players who have not appeared so far at the tournament.
New Zealand pacer Tim Southee said their World Test Championship triumph will take at least a couple of weeks to sink in.
They pushed themselves hard to win the title and it was only fair that the newly-crowned world Test champions New Zealand pushed the 'boat out a little bit' more while celebrating their momentous triumph before heading back home.
All-rounder Ewen Thompson was the only new face named in New Zealand's 13-man squad for two Twenty20 matches against the West Indies this month. Thompson, 29, has taken 16 wickets at an average of 17 and an economy rate of 6.97 playing for Central Districts.
Veteran batsman Ross Taylor bagged the prestigious New Zealand Cricketer of the Year award on Friday, winning the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for the third time for excelling across formats. He scored 1389 runs in the last season in all formats and was an integral member of the New Zealand team which reached the World Cup final in July.
Losing seamer Kyle Mills and all-rounder Jacob Oram to injury does not make New Zealand underdogs heading into the third Test against England, according to captain Daniel Vettori. Mills and Oram, arguably New Zealand's two best bowlers in the series, were ruled out of the match at Napier's McLean Park with calf and hip injuries respectively.
Openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill thwarted New Zealand's plans with a gutsy batting display in tough conditions.
An angry Ravichandran Ashwin on Thursday asked Eoin Morgan and Tim Southee to not use 'derogatory' words and lecture him on 'Spirit of Cricket' by taking a moral high ground after their on-field bust-up over an extra run during an IPL game.
An in-form Delhi Capitals will fancy their chances of securing a play-off berth when they face Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League in Sharjah on Tuesday.
Fast bowler Adam Milne won the battle for the final pace bowling spot in New Zealand's cricket World Cup squad named on Thursday.
Agarkar said Team India has always found out ways to emerge victorious even in crunch situations.
Australia's Marnus Labuschange struck another half century to pile on the runs and the misery over New Zealand on Day 3 of the day-night Test in Perth on Saturday. Earlier, Starc picked a five-wicket haul.
Weakened by the departure of Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, Rajasthan Royals will have their task cut out when they lock horns with a resurgent Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League match in Jaipur on Saturday.
Enduring a forgettable outing in the first half of this year's IPL, two-time former champions Kolkata Knight Riders would look for reversal of fortunes when they resume their campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the second phase of T20 league in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
Teenager Tim Southee took four wickets to lead New Zealand to a 22-run win against England in the third one-day international on Saturday. New Zealand had appeared to be heading for a comprehensive defeat earlier after they slumped to 49 for five but after taking 50 runs from their last five overs to reach 182 all out, Southee ripped through England's middle-order.
An unwell Trent Boult skipped the New Zealand cricket team's training session at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Monday, staying away from the squad as a precautionary measure. The left-arm pacer is among eight players including Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner, who are attending the first half of the camp that started on Sunday.
Azhar, who finished the day unbeaten on 62 off 169 balls, helped Pakistan recover from the loss of two early wickets to trail New Zealand by 135 runs with seven wickets remaining.
England spinner Monty Panesar claimed six wickets to wrap up the deciding third Test against New Zealand just after lunch on the fifth day on Wednesday. New Zealand, chasing an improbable 553 to win, were bowled out for 431 in their second innings to give England victory by 121 runs and a 2-1 triumph in the series, their first overseas success since South Africa in 2005.
Kevin Pietersen scored a fine century as England ended Day 1 in the third Test against New Zealand on 240 for 7. New Zealand debutant pace bowler Tim Southee had made a dream start, taking two wickets in his first spell as England slumped to 58 for four at lunch and 150 for six at tea.
New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram has been ruled out of the third Test against England with a hip injury and replaced by Grant Elliott, captain Daniel Vettori said on Friday. South African-born Elliott will make his Test debut in the match at McLean Park, alongside teenage pace bowler Tim Southee who has been called in to replace fellow seamer Kyle Mills.
Teenage pace bowler Tim Southee was added to an otherwise unchanged New Zealand squad for the third Test against England, beginning in Napier on Saturday.
Captain Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya were among the five Indian team members who skipped the optional practice session ahead of the series decider against New Zealand, in Kanpur, on Sunday.
Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh drove Australia to within 74 runs of a series-winning victory at the dinner-break in the third and final Test in Adelaide on Sunday after New Zealand's pacemen captured three early wickets.
After a comfortable outing in the tournament-opener against Bangladesh, title favourites England are set to face a much stiffer test against New Zealand in a crucial ICC Champions Trophy Group A fixture in Cardiff, on Tuesday.
It was a day that New Zealand pacer Tim Southee won't forget for the rest of his life for sure as the Indian batsmen scored a century off his bowling. The 20-year-old was smashed for 105 runs off his 10 overs as India ended up with a mammoth 392 for four in their 50 overs during the third One-Day International in Wellington on Sunday.
India defeated New Zealand by five wickets in the first T20 International in Jaipur on Wednesday, but captain Rohit Sharma was quick to admit that his team was made to sweat for victory.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji list the Most Valuable Players in T20 World Cup 2022.
The squad for the two Tests against India is set to be named on February 17, with the opening match starting four days later in Wellington on February 21.
New Zealand will be banking on injured pace bowlers Trent Boult (hand), Matt Henry (thumb) and Lockie Ferguson (calf) coming back into contention for the Tests
New Zealand are better organised and clinical in terms of execution and hence could start as the favourites in the first semi-final against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santer may have not picked up a wicket in New Zealand's thumping win over India but his tidy spell helped immensely in putting pressure on the opposition batters, said teammmate Ish Sodhi.
Images from the IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals, in Bengaluru, on Sunday.
Alex Marshall, ICC's general manager of its anti-corruption unit, met Interpol officials in Lyon last week to seek closer working relations, it added.
New Zealand were bowled out for 249 in the first session but Sri Lanka struggled to get going during Patel's spells and finished on 227-7, trailing by 22 runs.
Southee had Kamrul Islam trapped in front for two in the 85th over, shortly after the game had been delayed for about 10 minutes when Rubel Hossain received medical treatment after being hit on the elbow by Trent Boult.
Ahead of Thursday's Indian Premier League player auction, Royal Challengers Banglore captain Virat Kohli assured the fans that they will cover all bases and pick a strong team for the next edition of IPL. Ahead of this year's IPL auction, RCB had released 12 players from their squad, while retaining 13.
