Neesham replaced Doug Bracewell in the team while leg-spinner Ish Sodhi made way for Astle.
Colin de Grandhomme and BJ Watling delivered an 87-run partnership to help New Zealand avoid being forced to follow on as the hosts reached 123 for five at tea on the second day of the second test against England.
England finished day two on 111-2 and trail New Zealand by 267 runs in the first innings of the first Test after Devon Conway's double ton took the game away from the home side on Thursday.
Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga claimed four wickets in four balls for the second time in his international career to rip through the New Zealand batting order in a Twenty20 International at Pallekele on Friday.
Mohammed Siraj was given the responsibility to take RCB home and he repaid Skipper Kohli's trust.
New Zealand clinched a remarkable comeback win as they defeated England by 14 runs in the third T20I on Tuesday.
IMAGES from the 2nd T20 International played between New Zealand and India in Auckland on Friday
New Zealand held their nerve under the floodlights to beat Bangladesh by two wickets in a dramatic low-scoring Cricket World Cup match at The Oval on Wednesday.
India stormed back into the second and final Test on the back of some fine seam bowling on Sunday, tearing through New Zealand's top order to leave the hosts rocking on 142 for five at lunch on day two at Hagley Oval. Images from Day 2 of the second Test between New Zealand and India in Christchurch on Sunday.
Virat Kohli's top-ranked team, with 360 points in its kitty, is certainly the favourite on paper but the Black Caps under Kane Williamson are experts at wearing down opposition with their patience
Images from Day 2 of the ICC World Test Championship Final between India and New Zealand, at The Hampshire Bowl, in Southampton, on Saturday.
New Zealand last toured Pakistan in 2003 for a white-ball series and since then have avoided touring the country because of security reasons.
Once again, the Sunrisers bowlers did the job on a slow track.
Pakistan will not only have to win the remaining three matches, starting with New Zealand, but also hope that the results in other matches favour them to salvage any hopes of a semi-final berth.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the opening Test between England and New Zealand at Lord's on Saturday.
List of players released by IPL teams ahead of next month's auction for 2020 season:
Mayank Agarwal scored his fourth Test half-century as India inched to 78-2 at tea on the third day of Trent Boult followed up his counter-attacking cameo innings of 38 to take three wickets, including that of Virat Kohli, to put New Zealand on top against India at the end of the third day of the first test on Sunday. Trent Boult followed up his counter-attacking cameo innings of 38 to take three wickets, including that of Virat Kohli, to put New Zealand on top against India at the end of the third day of the first test on Sunday. The visitors, who had not lost any of their seven previous International Cricket Council World Test Championship matches, were 144-4 at the close of play at the Basin Reserve, still 39 runs behind and staring at their potential first defeat.
The squad will then be trimmed to 15 for the ICC World Test Championship final against India at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton starting on June 18, as per ICC regulations.
Glenn Phillips and Todd Astle are in line to make their ODI debut after being among the six players added to the New Zealand squad for the three-match series against India, beginning in Mumbai on October 22.
Senior New Zealand opener Martin Guptill was ruled out of the three-match series after failing to recover from a back injury.
Mustafizur Rahman's three-wicket haul and Mushfiqur Rahim's unbeaten 16-run knock helped Bangladesh defeat New Zealand by seven wickets in the first T20I of the five-match series here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Wednesday.
An underwhelming India suffered their first ODI whitewash in more than three decades as New Zealand completed a 3-0 sweep with a five-wicket victory in the third match, in Mount Maunganui, on Tuesday. It is the first whitewash for India in 31 years in a series in which all matches have been played.
Australia, who won the toss and batted in the day-nighter, reached 248 for four at stumps with Labuschagne 110 not out and Travis Head unbeaten on 20.
England were in a strong position to win the second Test against New Zealand and level their two-match series as they extended their lead to 231 runs when bad light stopped play three overs early on the third day at Hagley Oval on Sunday.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead, on Tuesday, said he was a bit surprised by India's abject surrender in the first Test but is expecting a strong comeback in Christchurch.
New Zealand will enter the World Cup feeling optimistic of finally winning it after four and half decades of trying.
With Kane Williamson likely to miss the Test, New Zealand will have a lot of work to do in the 3rd Test in Sydney.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 2nd Test played between England and New Zealand at Trent Bridge on Friday.
India won the twin T20 Internationals in Auckland by margins of six and seven wickets respectively to go 2-0 up in the five-match series.
Given the Indian batting line-up's weakness against swinging deliveries, New Zealand could go in with an all-pace attack with the pitch likely to offer pace and bounce.
James Vince's knock of 59 runs enabled England to defeat New Zealand by seven wickets
South Africa were 123 for four in the third Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Saturday before rain forced the abandonment of the first day's play after 41 overs.
'There cannot be a batsman in the world less liable to panic than Kane Williamson'
Images from Day 2 of the first Test between New Zealand and South Africa in Christchurch on Friday.
Chapman, Astle picked in New Zealand T20 World Cup squad; Veteran Ross Taylor ignored.
Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach Daniel Vettori said their star player AB de Villiers is fit for Saturday's Indian Premier League match against Chennai Super Kings.
Seam-bowling all-rounder ideal for conditions in New Zealand, said Sanjay Bangar
Opting to field after Rohit Sharma won the toss, Mumbai bowled out Kolkata for a paltry 107 in 18.5 overs, and then chased down the target with 33 balls to spare at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson struck a quick-fire half-century as his team registered a comfortable six-wicket win over Bangladesh in the first T20 of the three-match series at the McLean Park here on Tuesday. Opting to bat first, Bangladesh made a slow start to their innings, losing opener Tamim Iqbal (11) and Imrul Kayes (duck) cheaply. Although Mahmudullah did provide his side with some resistance with his 52-run knock, Bangladesh were restricted to a score of 141 runs in their stipulated 20 overs.
Tim Southee will captain the T20 side.
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