The Indian team badly missed Sania Mirza as it made a horrendous start to the Fed Cup, losing 0-3 to New Zealand in their opening Group I tie of the Asia/Oceania zone in Perth on Wednesday.
With a new cricket director, coach and chairman, England return to the field of play in the first Test against New Zealand on Thursday following an extraordinary period of upheaval.
A fit again South African pacer Dale Steyn on Wednesday said that New Zealand's decision to play three spinners against India in the World Twenty20 opener paid off as the Kiwis posted a comfortable 47-run win over the hosts. Chasing a mere 127 runs for victory, favourites India were bundled out for 79 in 18.1 overs on a turning track at Nagpur last night with the Kiwi spinners sharing as many as nine wickets among them. "I guess New Zealand thinking was correct. Playing with three spinners paid off. We would probably go with spin, I don't know. But as a seamer I have to back myself. Bowl fast cutters. It is really difficult to hit out when the ball is coming at 140-145, its gripping and stopping," Steyn told reporters on the sidelines of his team's practice session at the Brabourne stadium on Wednesday. Steyn, who had suffered a shoulder injury, said he was now fully fit and things were coming up nicely.
'I do believe India is very strong because lately we have been winning outside the country. I think our batting is stronger, in bowling they are at par.'
Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell from New Zealand. Travis Head from Australia. Gerald Coetzee from South Africa. Harry Brook from England.
In preparation for the upcoming season of the IPL, former champions Chennai Super Kings will get their pre-season camp underway in the city from Friday.
Trent Boult's double wicket maiden first over saw Rajasthan Royals humbled Sunrisers Hyderabad by 72 runs in the IPL 2023 match in Hyderabad on Sunday.
India and New Zealand will fight it out for the inaugural title at Southampton's Ageas Bowl
Captain Virat Kohli admitted that India were at least 30 runs short while lauding the application shown by New Zealand's batsmen, especially Tom Latham, in the first One-Day International at the Wankhede stadium, in Mumbai, on Sunday.
'That's a standard we want to keep going with for the rest of tournament.'
New Zealand Cricket said the 30-year-old felt tightness in his right calf after a training session and an MRI scan ahead of their tournament opener against Pakistan on Tuesday revealed a grade two tear which would rule him out for up to four weeks.
Vasudevan Jagadeesh (40) and Manprit Juneja (43) put on an unbeaten 78-run partnership to help India 'A' end Day 2 in the second and final unofficial 'Test' against New Zealand 'A' on 94 for 2 at the Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy stadium in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.
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The World Cup trophy was not meant to be his, but India's 'Captain Fearless' Rohit Sharma gave everything on the field and so did Mohammed Shami, who set the record for most fifers in the tournament's history.
In the IPL opener, Gujarat Giants were dealt a big blow as Kane Williamson walked off the field following a nasty knee injury.
Opener Mayank Agarwal described the Basin Reserve wicket as 'tricky', adding it was very difficult to negotiate for India's batsmen on Day 1 of the first Test against New Zealand, in Wellington, on Friday.
Ahead of their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders pacer Lockie Ferguson backed Andre Russell to put on a strong show with the willow.
Veteran New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor doesn't rule out playing the 2023 ODI World Cup but says his form, fitness and motivation level at the end of next year will decide whether he actually manages a place in the squad. The 35-year-old will become the first cricketer in the world to complete 100 games across three international formats when he steps out for the first Test against India at Basin Reserve on February 21.
India have won six ODI series on the trot. New Zealand have never won an ODI series in India.
Kohli started his English summer on a bright note hitting an unbeaten 52 off 55 balls while Mahendra Singh Dhoni also played some delightful strokes square off the wicket.
'Practice and a lot of smiles makes the perfect Squad!'
England may have been utterly humiliated in their second World Cup pool match against co-hosts New Zealand but Sunday's nine-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka was much more damaging, according to former England captain Mike Atherton.
"Everybody has different tags and rankings that go up and down throughout the year, and I suppose they end up with different names. But you come into a tournament on any day, anything can happen, especially looking across all these teams with match winners throughout."
'We wanted the sixth bowler to come in, so Sanju Samson missed out'
New Zealand and West Indies cricket teams both took a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement
CSK have made it to the last four stage of 12 out of 14 tournaments -- the most by any team in the IPL.
Hesson, who guided New Zealand to the final of the 2019 ODI World Cup, feels the Australian players also have more experience of playing matches at the big stage than their Kiwi counterparts.
Gill said his team has learnt plenty from the disappointing defeat against the Kiwis.
Nathan McCullum gets recall into Kiwi set-up for World T20; Nicholls gets call-up after good showing in series vs Pakistan
New Zealand vice-captain Tom Latham says losing the first day to rain will not change their approach to team selection.
As Mohammed Shami walked back to the top of his run-up, Virat Kohli geed the fans at the Wankhede Stadium to go full throat with their chants - Shaamii! Shaamii! They obliged merrily.
Ravichandran Ashwin has maintained the top spot among bowlers
Eyeing a historic bilateral One-Day International cricket series win in India, New Zealand senior batsman Ross Taylor said the Kiwis are hungry for victory.
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.
The mysterious omissions of the talented Samson led to banners in the Kerala cricketer's support at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar no less.
Yuki Bhambri rescued India with an impressive win following Somdev Devvarman's shock defeat, leaving the visitors locked 1-1 with New Zealand on day one of the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group I tie, in Christchurch on Friday.
