New Zealand picked two uncapped players in all-rounder Daryl Mitchell and pacer Blair Tickner for the three-match T20 International series against India.
Martin Guptill will play in his seventh T20 World Cup and Devon Conway will keep wickets in addition to his batting duties at the tournament
New Zealand clinched a remarkable comeback win as they defeated England by 14 runs in the third T20I on Tuesday.
England skipper Eoin Morgan would like to believe his team peaked at the right time at the ongoing World Twenty20 while New Zealand were slightly premature going into Wednesday's semi-final at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. Kane Williamson and his Kiwi team mates have not put a foot wrong since landing in India, winning all four group matches without really breaking a sweat to qualify for the semi-finals as the tournament's only unbeaten team. For a side boasting an explosive batting order and a balanced attack to go with, England's passage proved bumpier. Even before they could soak in the atmosphere, England were blown away by a Chris Gayle century in their tournament opener against West Indies in Mumbai.
An under pressure India will face their stiffest test in recent times when they try to bounce back in the three-match ODI series against a refreshed New Zealand in the must-win second game in Pune, on Wednesday.
A sparkling unbeaten double-century opening stand from Martin Guptill and Tom Latham propelled New Zealand to an emphatic 10-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the second one-day international at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
Who do you feel should be part of India's playing XI for Wednesday's T20 World Cup game against Afghanistan?
'Leg-spinners are very important and it's lovely to see that Shamsi, Adil Rashid, Rashid Khan are doing magic in the T20 World Cup. They are making proud for their respective countries. These are the three names that come to my mind in white ball cricket.'
'When you play for India, there are loads of expectations. We are watched, people come to the stadium and everyone who plays for India needs to embrace that and cope with it. We haven't done that in these two games, and that's why we haven't won.'
Corey Anderson smashed 10 sixes in his unbeaten 94 as New Zealand completed a 3-0 sweep of their Twenty20 series against Bangladesh with a 27-run win in the final match at Mount Maunganui on Sunday.
Ahmed Shehzad struck his third Test century as Pakistan completely dominated the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi to reach 269 for one and stay on course for a mammoth first-innings total on Sunday.
Mayank Agarwal finally found some form going his way and Rishabh Pant mixed caution with his customary aggression as India's warm-up fixture against New Zealand XI ended in a draw, in Hamilton, on Sunday.
Mominul Haque's fine knock of 181 took Bangladesh close to New Zealand's first-innings total of 469 on the third day of the first Test in Chittagong on Friday.
New Zealand comfortably beat India by six wickets in a World Cup warm-up match at The Oval in London on Saturday after restricting the Virat Kohli-led side to 179.
Exploiting a turning track, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja scalped three batsmen in one over to finish with a five-wicket haul while Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed four wickets as India bundled out New Zealand for 262 on day three to take control of the first Test in Kanpur.
KL Rahul leads a pack of India players who have shot up the MRF Tyres ICC Men's T20I Player Rankings after the visitors stormed to a 5-0 series win in New Zealand. Rahul's series topping aggregate of 224 runs has lifted him four places to a career best-equaling second place.
With spin expected to have an impact on the outcome of the opening Test starting in Kanpur on Thursday, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is hoping that the lessons learnt during the World Twenty20 in India will help his side's spinners counter the hosts. New Zealand had reached the semi-finals of World T20 and Mitchel Santner (4/11 in 4 overs) had recorded the best figures for a Kiwi spinner in Twenty20s en route to their knock out stage appearance. Those figures had come for a winning cause against India in Nagpur and he was well supported by Ish Sodhi, who took three wickets in that match. These two spinners -- Santner and Sodhi -- will challenge the Indian batting line-up in this Test series.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12 match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, at Sydney Cricket Ground, in Sydney, on Saturday.
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.
Neil Wagner claimed a five-wicket haul from a fiery spell of fast bowling as New Zealand reduced hosts Zimbabwe to 120 for eight at tea on day one of the first Test at Queen's Sports Club on Thursday.
New Zealand's batting tail wagged to take them to 403 in their first innings before they returned to dismiss Pakistan's openers on the second day of the second Test in Dubai on Tuesday.
Images from the T20 World Cup Super 12s match between New Zealand and Pakistan, in Sharjah, on Tuesday.
Following that nerve-wracking final, the ICC faced the wrath of fans and former players over the controversial rule.
Former wicketkeeper Brad Haddin says Australia missed the experience and skills of senior spinner Nathan Lyon during their unsuccessful World T20 campaign in India. Lyon was kept out in favour of young spinners Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar, while allrounder Glenn Maxwell also chipped in with his part-timers. Rookie leg-spinner Zampa was a revelation for the Aussies, claiming five wickets in four matches in the tournament. But Australia's other spin options were used sparingly throughout the tournament; Agar bowled just one over in his only match against New Zealand, which went for 18, while Maxwell sent down eight overs in four matches, taking two wickets and conceding 7.6 runs an over. Australia suffered defeats to New Zealand and hosts India to be knocked out in the group stage and on wickets the supported spin bowling, Haddin says Lyon was sorely missed.
Sohag Gazi struck a maiden century as the Bangladesh lower order fought back on the fourth day of the first Test against New Zealand to leave the match in Chittagong heading for a draw.
Jermaine Blackwood completed a half-century on debut to put West Indies in control of the second test against New Zealand in Trinidad on Wednesday. The 22-year-old Jamaican celebrated his call up to the test team with a well-crafted 63 at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain.
Hero of New Zealand's thumping win over India, Mitchell Santner said they vindicated the selectors' decision to play three spinners in their World T20 opener, in Nagpur on Tuesday. Santner, whose international cricket can still be called nascent, returned four for 11 to help shoot out India for their second-lowest ever score of 79. "It was selectors decision to bowl three spinners. When spinners take nine wickets on a spin track then it's not a bad one," the 24-year-old left-arm spinner said at the post match press conference. Santner was given splendid support by Ish Sodhi (3/18) and experienced off-spinner Nathan McCullum (2/15).
Injured New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor will test his fitness ahead of next month's World Twenty20 tournament in India when he plays in an 'Island of Origin' match next week.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's batting position will be under spotlight as India aim to go for the kill against a gutsy New Zealand in the third T20 International despite weather threatening to play spoilsport.
India will aim to shed their archaic playing style for good with a 'young and fearless' bunch in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand, starting in Wellington on Friday.
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan picked all three New Zealand wickets to fall as the visitors put up 107 for three before rain returned to halt play on Day 2 of the second and final Test on Tuesday.
For Pakistan, Rauf clinched three wickets while Afridi grabbed two scalps.
7 batsmen have scored more than 500 runs in IPL-11 so far. 6 bowlers have taken 18 or more wickets. Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji reveal who they are.
Tendulkar said Indian batters were forced to play big shots as they were not given easy singles by New Zealand and the bowlers lacked penetration while defending a low total of 110.
Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori could make a surprise return to the Test arena as coach Mike Hesson considers taking three spinners into the deciding clash with Pakistan in Sharjah which starts on Wednesday.
India, who play three matches against Australia and five against New Zealand, could reach 125 points and within one point of England
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and coach, Mike Hesson, opined that it will be a "bit of scrap" for the batsmen to face Ravichandran Ashwin & Co. while their own spinners need to adapt quickly to the SG Test from kookaburra ball.
Ross Taylor and BJ Watling shared an unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 220 as New Zealand went to tea in complete command on 543 for five and a lead of 379 on day three of the first Test against Zimbabwe on Saturday.
India's limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the job of a finisher is one of the toughest and it is difficult to find a 'complete' player who is adept at batting in lower order and take the team through when the chips are down.
Debutant spinner Ajaz Patel claimed five wickets in the second innings as New Zealand beat Pakistan by four runs on a dramatic fourth day of the opening Test in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
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