IPL 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad are hoping for a turnaround in their fortunes after failing to make it to play-offs in the last three seasons.
With Kane Williamson likely to miss the Test, New Zealand will have a lot of work to do in the 3rd Test in Sydney.
Virat Kohli has succumbed to spin three times in the first two Tests, while scoring just 68 runs in four innings.
R Ashwin is always up for a challenge and two days from his landmark 100th Test, India's premier off-spinner looked back at the on-field battles he has enjoyed in international and domestic cricket.
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 Saturday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and SunRisers Hyderabad, in Sharjah.
Virat Kohli advanced four slots to ninth position after scores of 38 and 76 in the first Test against South Africa.
Images from the T20 World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia, in Dubai, on Sunday.
Sachin Tendulkar led the cricketing fraternity in lauding the fighting spirit of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja in the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand.
Did you enjoy Noor Ahmad's superb showing with the ball?
Virtually out of the play-off race, bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad will hope to keep their new-found momentum intact when they face table toppers Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, in Sharjah, on Thursday.
Aerodynamics in action at the Royal Challengers Bangalore-Sunrisers Hyderabad game at the Sheikh Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi, Wednesday, October 6, 2021.
Home captain Williamson also praised the "special effort from" team man Wagner.
Formed in 2013, Sunrisers Hyderabad have been one of the most consistent performers, having won the tournament in 2016 and finishing as runners up last year.
We need to introspect and comeback stronger in next game, says Shreyas Iyer
South Africa skittled New Zealand's tail to dismiss their hosts for 211 and take a shock first-innings lead of 31 runs on day two of the second Test at Seddon Park on Wednesday.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the first Test against New Zealand?
The top-order has struggled immensely to contribute runs. In the opener, the Kiwis seemed down and out at 131-6, before number seven Michael Bracewell played a blinder to almost take them over the line.
Explosive Australian batsman David Warner was on Thursday reinstated as captain of Indian Premier League franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad for the upcoming season, starting on March 29. The 33-year-old had stepped down as captain after he was barred from participating in the 2018 season of the tournament in the aftermath of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
Ashwin's legacy, marked by his intellect and dominance on the field, will resonate for years to come.
New Zealand bowler Lockie Ferguson joined Canada skipper Saad Bin Zafar as only the second bowler in T20I history to bowl each of the allotted four overs as maidens, returning figures of 4-4-0-3. Zafar recorded 4-4-0-2.
The West Indian legend is the batting coach for Sunrisers Hyderabad who finally broke their duck and logged their first points this IPL season.
McCullum was 143 not out at the close of play, his eighth Test century, while Williamson was dismissed after tea for 113, his fifth hundred, as the Kiwis finished the opening day on a strong 329 for four in 90 overs.
Kane Williamson hit a brilliant 123 as New Zealand staved off Pakistan's spirited challenge to eke out a series-levelling seven-run victory in the fourth one-day international in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
He not only won an IPL title for his side in 2016 as a skipper, but also won the 'Orange Cap' honour for most runs in a season thrice, in 2015, 2017 and 2019, the most by any batter in league history.
The IPL is likely to start in the second week of April and its knockout matches may stretch till early June, potentially clashing with New Zealand's first Test in England
'We were sitting down and looking at what can we get at the end out of the series. It's just about each game as it comes. Like I said, we are looking at this series as an isolated series'
New Zealand will play the World Cup-opener against England on Thursday without key pacer Tim Southee, who is yet to recover from his thumb surgery.
'Gutted, the guys put in a huge effort to get this opportunity, to pretty much do all you could and still not get across the line'
Kane Williamson highlighted the difference in Virat Kohli in comparison to 2008 when he made his ODI debut.
Kiwi Ross Taylor's mammoth 290 in the WACA Test against Australia, propelled him to the top-10 list
IMAGES from Day 3 of the third Test between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday
Rachin Ravindra becomes youngest recipient of Sir Richard Hadlee Medal
Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner, Rachin Ravindra and Hamish Rutherford were released from the initial 20 player squad.
Rajneesh Gupta presents all the numbers before the first World Cup Semi-final between India and New Zealand.
SunRisers Hyderabad players had team bonding sessions on Thursday as the Orange Army aims to bounce back after a disappointing start in IPL 2021.
IMAGES from the IPL match played between Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad in New Delhi on Thursday
Images from the Indian Premier league match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals, in Dubai, on Wednesday.
Australia's ODI World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins was named as the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for IPL 2024.
Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal also acknowledged Mendis and Mathews had saved the game for his side, who were dominated by New Zealand over the first three days.
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