England captain Andrew Strauss praised New Zealand counterpart Daniel Vettori for recalling Paul Collingwood after he had been given run out during their Champions Trophy clash on Tuesday.
Having won their tournament opener with consummate ease, a resurgent New Zealand side would be on a look out for a Super Eight berth when it takes on Pakistan in a Group D encounter in Pallekele on Sunday.
Bharat Arun was the bowling coach of the Indian team under Ravi Shastri.
The fit-again Yuvraj Singh broke into the top-20 while Suresh Raina got a major confidence booster ahead of the World T20 in Sri Lanka, emerging as the highest-placed Indian batsmen at number three, in the latest ICC Player Rankings for the shortest format.
# Virat Kohli's 70 off 41 balls is the highest individual innings by an Indian player against New Zealand in T20s.
Images from the second T20 international between India and New Zealand at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on Tuesday.
Fielding lapses, including a first-ball dropped catch off Brendon McCullum who smashed his way to 81, cost Mumbai Indians the match against IPL debutants Kochi Tuskers Kerala on Friday, said home team captain Sachin Tendulkar.
Sachin Tendulkar's maiden Twenty20 century went in vain as Kochi Tuskers Kerela opened their account in the Indian Premier League with an eight-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in Mumbai on Friday.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has succeeded in signing its six Indian Premier League-contracted players, avoiding a possible rift caused by a scheduling clash with Australia's tour of the country next March.
Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill put on a 123-run partnership to help New Zealand end the fourth day of the first Test on 199 for three, on Saturday, but two late wickets will give the West Indies hope of securing a victory.
Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist (85 off 35 balls) registered the fastest IPL fifty. With his 17-ball half-century, Gilchrist surpassed the 21-ball 50s registered by Yusuf Pathan (2008) and Brendon McCullum (2009). Gilchrist's 17-ball half-century is the fifth fastest in Twenty20.
The Test will be England's first in Pakistan since 2005. International teams have largely steered clear since an attack by Islamist militants on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in 2009 killed six policemen and two civilians.
Among top players from different countries playing in the IPL second season, it turns out that English players cost the most, but contributed the least.
Already assured of a playoffs berth, Kolkata Knight Riders would aim to sign off their IPL league engagements on a high when they take on laggards Pune Warriors in Pune on Saturday.
Already burdened by back injuries to captain Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum, New Zealand on Tuesday suffered yet another setback when fast bowler Daryl Tuffey was ruled out of the ongoing five-match One-Day International series against India due to a bicep strain.
New Zealand's stand-in skipper Ross Taylor was disappointed after the Black Caps crashed to their seventh consecutive One-day International defeats in Guwahati, but hoped to get their act together before the forthcoming World Cup in February.
Besides the surface, the behaviour of the Dukes has also come under scanner with the softer ball hardly offering anything to the bowlers.
After leading his side to the top with a facile win over Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir said he, along with senior batsman Jacques Kallis, will have to shoulder the responsibility of steering the team to play-off stage.
Statistical highlights of the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Eden Gardens.
The ground brought sanity to the wild, soaring numbers for the batters in the series. The wicket had grass, and it made the batters struggle.
Martin Guptill and Daniel Flynn battled hostile pace bowling to guide New Zealand to 65 for no loss at the close of play on the third day of the final Test against South Africa at the Basin Reserve on Sunday.
New Zealand's captain Ross Taylor's 111 not out has put the hosts in a commanding position against Zimbabwe. New Zealand are five for 331 on the first day of the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in Napier on Thursday.
Already under severe pressure to retain his place in the Test squad, VVS Laxman's IPL career may just come to a halt as none of the nine franchises are keen on roping in the senior batsman as a full-time player.
New Zealand thumped minnows Ireland by 290 runs in Aberdeen on Tuesday to register the biggest margin of victory in one-day internationals in the opening match of the Associates Tri-series. New Zealand smashed a mammoth 402 for two in their 50 overs and in reply bowled out Ireland for a mere 112 in 28.4 overs.
Captain Michael Clarke rode his luck to score 139 and help steer Australia to a 132-run first innings lead over New Zealand with a total of 427 on the third day of the first Test on Saturday.
The 21-year-old had limited opportunity to showcase his skills in the last edition, but this time Kolkata Knight Riders coach Brendon McCullum has already given the opener's slot to him.
Statistics emerging from the Indian Premier League (IPL) reveals that for the New Zealand cricketers, the tournament has been the most lucrative.
Australia dismissed New Zealand for 302 in the second innings to win the second Test by 176 runs. Man of the match Mitchell Johnson claimed 6-73 for a total of 10 in the Test.
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will select their third wicket-keeper within a couple of days, KKR coach Dav Whatmore said in Kolkata on Monday.
Former skipper Root and Jonny Bairstow smashed unbeaten centuries against India to chase down 378 and win the tie.
Chandrakant Pandit 'liked to do things a certain way and that didn't sit well with certain players. It caused a little bit of tension in the changing room.'
James Pattinson has the full support of the Australian team in his battle against over-stepping and they expect him to come out and "blow the game apart" in New Zealand's second innings, according to off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
# Brendon McCullum, with 240 runs (avg. 30.00) in eight matches, is the top run-scorer for Kochi in the IPL 4.
New Zealand struggled to 159 for five on the second day of the second and final Test on Thursday, trailing Sri Lanka by 257 runs after Thilan Samaraweera's century had put the hosts in command.
Images from the World Cup match between in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
The seven-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings may have lifted some of the gloom in the Kolkata Knight Riders' beleaguered camp but it is not welcome news for Rajasthan Royals, who face the Brendon McCullum-led side in their must-win last league encounter, in Durban on Wednesday. With 13 points, they need victory against the Knight Riders to brighten their prospects of a semi-final berth, though, Rajasthan would still have to depend on other results.
The seven-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings may have lifted some of the gloom in the Kolkata Knight Riders' beleaguered camp but is not welcome news for Rajasthan Royals, who face the Brendon McCullum-led side in their must-win last league encounter, in Durban on Wednesday.
The second season of the Indian Premier League has been as much about ducks as it has been about runs.
Australia retained the urn after rain washed out the final day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, leaving England trailing 2-1 in the series.
New Zealand were nine without loss at the close of play on the third day of the second Test against Pakistan on Monday, after the visitors had been bowled out shortly before stumps at the Basin Reserve.
