New Zealand have never beaten South Africa in a Test series in nearly a century of trying and will rarely have a better chance to break that drought than in two matches against a severely depleted side starting on Sunday.
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday was added to Surrey's squad for the County Championship fixture against Somerset, starting on July 11 at the Oval in London.
With the ball still in play and Mushfiqur 'wilfully' pushing the ball away, he had to be sent back to the dressing room after scoring 35 off 83 balls.
'You want someone like an X-factor, like Maxwell, and at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where it's flat and small, so he can have that impact.'
Images from Day 6 of the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand, at The Hampshire Bowl, in Southampton, on Wednesday.
When New Zealander Daryl Mitchell was bought for a whopping Rs 14 crore by Chennai Super Kings during the IPL auction, he was wrapping presents for his daughter's birthday at his home and his heartbeat increased when his name popped up on the screen.
Images from Wednesday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and SunRisers Hyderabad, in Chennai.
Ashwin's lone victim was Tom Lammonby (42), who was bowled by the veteran India spinner.
They pushed themselves hard to win the title and it was only fair that the newly-crowned world Test champions New Zealand pushed the 'boat out a little bit' more while celebrating their momentous triumph before heading back home.
Joe Root scored his fastest Test century while Ollie Pope struck a superb 145, as England launched a stirring fightback to reach 473/5 at the close of play on the third day of the second Test against New Zealand on Sunday.
Rahul Dravid gave Green Park's groundstaff, led by Shiv Kumar, Rs 35,000 for preparing a sporting pitch for the first Test against New Zealand.
New Zealand's debutant pacer Kyle Jamieson says with his height, he "can afford to go a fraction fuller", especially at the Basin Reserve which has extra bounce.
Images from the IPL match between Royal Challengers and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Chennai.
Williamson, Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell Santner, along with the team physiotherapist, were unable to secure an exemption to travel to Britain until May 11 so will remain in New Delhi until then.
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
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Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme made themselves unavailable for selection due to the prospect of further time in bio-secure bubbles and Managed Isolation.
But with the Kiwis set to play a total of 14 Tests during the current cycle, Mitchell knows his side have plenty of work ahead before they think about a potential place in the World Test Championship final at Lord's in the middle of 2025.
Pace spearhead Trent Boult has been omitted from the white-ball squad a few months after being released from his national contract.
Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to build on the momentum when they take on a struggling Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League match in Dubai on Wednesday.
Shubman Gill feels that bad light robbed them of a chance to have a crack at Ross Taylor
The 31-year-old Williamson also sat out the two-Test home series against Bangladesh last month due to the niggling elbow issue.
Trent Boult revealed his gameplan against Kohli after third day's play
Virat Kohli's split second indiscretion became his undoing as he went for a needless pull-shot to a well-disguised short ball.
"He has indicated he's available for the World Cup," Stead told reporters.
Aaron Finch scored 79 from 55 balls to propel Australia to a 50-run win over New Zealand in the fourth Twenty20 and level the five-match series 2-2
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson led from the front with a double century to guide the hosts to a huge total in their first innings on Day 2 of the first Test against West Indies, at Seddon Park, in Hamilton, on Friday.
Images from Day 2 of the ICC World Test Championship Final between India and New Zealand, at The Hampshire Bowl, in Southampton, on Saturday.
It will not be an easy task for a struggling Punjab side to stand up to the challenge thrown by a RCB team
Up against Delhi Capitals, RCB will need to address their middle-order woes, to return to winning ways, in what could be touted as a battle of equals.
Skipper Williamson cleared to play; spinner Patel included in 15-man squad
Andre Russell and Varun Chakravarthy picked up three wickets each to power Kolkata Knight Riders to an emphatic nine-wicket victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL match in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
New Zealand beat England by a comfortable six wickets as the four-match Twenty20 International series finished in a 2-2 draw.
Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque and Liton Das were denied hundreds but their resolute batting helped the tourists eclipse New Zealand's first innings total and move into a handy lead of 73 after finishing Day 3 of the opening Test on 401-6.
Williamson's elbow injury kept him out of a Test match in India in December and home series against South Africa and Bangladesh.
Resuming on the fourth day in the second Test at 140 for 5, New Zealand folded up for 167 in the second innings after India set them a mammoth 540-run target.
New Zealand's cricketers, including skipper Kane Williamson, who are quarantining in Maldives after the suspension of IPL 2021 last week might head to England this weekend for an upcoming two-Test series, head coach Gary Stead said.
Trent Boult, Finn Allen, Jimmy Neesham, Adam Milne and Scott Kuggeleijn, coaches and former players James Pamment and Shane Bond, Mike Hesson were the first to land in Auckland
The visitors were 38 for one in 14 overs at the draw of stumps on day three. Ravikumar Samarth (27 not out) and Ankit Bawne (5 not out) were on the crease after Abhimanyu Easwaran was dismissed in the seventh over.
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