A green pitch welcomed the Indians at the Basin Reserve in Wellington after Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to field in the second Test against New Zealand, on Friday.
'With this wicket, the best method of attack against the Indian side is to roll out another seamer'
India opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan says the current Test squad will only get better with time as they gain in experience, adding the New Zealand tour is another learning curve for them.
Since his debut against the West Indies in November 2013, Mohammad Shami has grown in leaps and bounds. His complete control of line and length and making good use of favourable conditions means the pacer is fast emerging as India's bowling spearhead.
New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum was a relieved man after his decision to not enforce the follow-on proved fruitful, as they beat India by 40 runs in the 1st Test in Auckland on Sunday.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni blamed poor umpiring and losing wickets off the second new ball as the main factors in India's 40-run loss against New Zealand in the first Test in Auckland on Sunday.
Images from Day 4 of the 1st Test played between New Xealand and India in Auckland on Sunday.
Rajneesh Gupta presents record by each country and players against India.
He might have been under the scanner for a while now due to poor form, but India's pacer Ishant Sharma, who reached the milestone of 150 Test wickets on Thursday, says he is happy with the way he is bowling.
Rohit Sharma has said that the Indian team got "what they wanted" before going into the first Test against New Zealand at the Eden Park in Auckland, starting February 6.
New Zealand all-rounder Nathan McCullum said his team will aim for a 4-0 result in the ongoing ODI series by going full throttle in the inconsequential fifth and final match in Wellington on Friday.
Unperturbed by India's fight back in the thrilling tied third ODI, New Zealand wicket-keeper Luke Ronchi said with a comfortable 2-0 lead, the hosts are well on course to win the five-match ODI series.
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson's preference for green wickets for the two-match Test series against India beginning February 6 was apparent though he said the home team management did not give any instructions to prepare fast bowler-friendly pitches.
New Zealand's bowling spearhead Tim Southee warned India of short bowling in the third One Dayer, given that the boundaries at the Eden Park, Auckland are short and the pitch expected to be quick.
India medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar said that his team was focussed and confident of winning their must-win match against New Zealand in Auckland on Friday.
Images from Day One of the Australian Open, in Melbourne, on Monday.
Captain Rohit Sharma led from the front, scoring 50 off 29 balls to ensure a seven-wicket win for India, their first in a T20 International on New Zealand soil.
TV replays clearly showed there was a clear inside edge and a huge spot on the hotspot could also be detected as the ball passed the bat but Daryl Mitchell was still given out by third umpire Shaun Haig.
Seifert blitzkrieg helps Kiwis beat India in opening T20
This makes her only the second world leader to have a child while in office.
New Zealand cricket coach Mike Hesson has called on the country's curators to serve up green pitches when India tour for their two-Test series in February.
Formula One world championLewis Hamilton has beencleared by New Zealand police after he was investigated over his apparent video selfie while driving a motorbike in Auckland. The British driver, who is touring New Zealand before this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, posted a video to his Snapdeal handle, in which he is seen driving a Harley Davidson on the motorway. It has been illegal to use a mobile while driving in New Zealand since 2009. His constant posts on social media caught the attention of local police. However, they have decided not to take any further action on Hamilton citing a lack of sufficient evidence, Stuff.co.nz reported.
Here's Lonely Planet's list of cities to travel to in the coming year.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the final of the 2015 cricket World Cup, 23 years after a bumper crowd at the 100,000-seat stadium saw Pakistan defeat England in the 1992 final.
New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee on Wednesday revealed that his side will go into the second and final Test against India in its bid to keep the visitors winless. After losing the ODI series 0-4, India slumped to a 40-run defeat in the first Test at Auckland.
India will retain their number two position in the ICC Test Team Rankings if they win or draw the upcoming two-match series against New Zealand, starting in Auckland on Thursday.
New Zealand great Martin Crowe will be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Having tied the third game in Auckland, Team India will look to build on their new-found momentum and aim for a first win of the tour when they take on New Zealand in the fourth ODI in Hamilton on Tuesday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said that India will have to make a few changes ahead of the third one-dayer against New Zealand at Auckland to bring their campaign back on track in the five-match ODI series.
English wicketkeeper Matt Prior has confessed that he felt uncomfortable at being singled out as the Player of the Year for the 2012-13 season.
The officer was reportedly angry with the school management for non-payment of his wife's salary.
The list of international sporting events affected by a new virus outbreak in China grew on Wednesday with skiing World Cup races in Yanqing cancelled and Olympic women's football in Australia in doubt over concerns about athletes' safety. Badminton, tennis and basketball were among other sports whose governing bodies were rearranging events, weighing possible changes or monitoring the implications of the outbreak.
Leander Paes and his new partner Andre Sa shocked the top-seeded pair of Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi in the ASB Classic in Auckland, to commence their partnership on a successful note on Wednesday.
Leander Paes, named a reserve in India's Davis Cup team for the Uzbekistan tie, is in line to win his first title of the season, albeit on the Challenger Tour, with Canadian partner Adil Shamasdin.
New Zealand batsman Nathan Astle has been rule out of the sixth one-day international against India in Auckland on Saturday after suffering a recurrence of a patella tendon injury. \n\n
New Zealand named a virtually unchanged squad for the upcoming ODI series against India, with the selectors keeping faith in players who drew the recent five-match home assignment against the West Indies.
India's campaign at the New Zealand badminton Open ended after Ajay Jayaram and Arvind Bhat lost in the quarter-finals of the men's singles, in Auckland, on Friday.
New Zealand have provisionally named paceman Doug Bracewell in a 14-man squad for the third and final Test against England starting in Auckland on Friday, pending his recovery from a domestic One-day match.
The gap between Mercedes and the rest has narrowed and Ferrari "have something up their sleeve" at this week's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, according to champion Lewis Hamilton.
