India were 227 for eight in their second innings at stumps on the third day of the second cricket Test against New Zealand at the Edens Garden on Kolkata on Sunday. India, thus, took an overall lead of 339 runs over New Zealand with two wickets in hand. Rohit Sharma made 82 while Wriddhiman Saha was unbeaten on 39 along side Bhuvneshwar Kumar (8 not out).
Going by the nature of the pitch on eve of the three-day game, senior player Ross Taylor said he does not expect the ball to turn much at Kotla, but is aware it won't be the case in the three-Test series, starting in Kanpur on September 22.
The Indian team is still searching for the right middle-order combination with the World Cup just a few months away.
Registering their first points of the competition in the final league game, Barbados Tridents managed an edgy six-wicket consolation win against Northern Knights in a rain-reduced Champions League Twenty20.
The tournament, which has been shifted to the UAE due to five million plus COVID cases in India, is a 'TV-only event', expected to be lapped up by all and sundry who crave for cricket and Bollywood in equal measure during prime time.
Batting first, Board President's XI made 295 for 9 in 50 overs and then bowled out the tourists for 265 in 47.4 overs.
New Zealand secured their third straight win to book a spot in the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 after beating Pakistan by 22 runs at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali in their Super 10 stage match on Tuesday.
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.
Centurion Colin Munro credited New Zealand's "outstanding" bowling attack for the 40-run victory in the second T20 International, in Rajkot, on Saturday, saying dismissing the in-form India openers early was "massive".
Earlier, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma struck scintillating half-centuries during a record 158-run partnership and powered India to a formidable 202 for three.
Images from the Indian Premier League Qualifier 1 between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings, in Dubai, on Sunday.
'We knew it would get easier as the game progresses. We bat quite deep -- until 9 -- and knew we could accelerate in the last few overs'
Images from the Indian Premier League match between Chennai Super Kings vs KKR in Kolkata on Sunday.
ECB to allow replacements for concussed players in domestic matches
The Indian fans could get a glimpse of the immensely talented Shubman Gill in the senior team jersey if he is chosen to replace Virat Kohli for Thursday's fourth ODI against New Zealand.
Having turned the tables in the one-dayers after a shoddy show in the Test series, New Zealand speedster Tim Southee is confident that the Black Caps can script history by winning their first ever bilateral ODI series in India.
Tom Latham has been New Zealand's best batsman on the on-going tour of India, having struck five half centuries. But he knows the biggest responsibility is to help the visitors win and for that he looking to take a cue from Virat Kohli's batting.
Images from the ICC World T20 match between India and New Zealand in Nagpur.
Brimming with confidence after a clean-sweep in the Test series, India will look to carry on their dominance over New Zealand when the two teams lock horns in the first cricket One-day International of the five-match series, in Dharamsala on Sunday.
'Over the years he's proved himself with the red ball and even in white ball he doesn't have a bad record. The way he has come back and bowled in Dubai and then two games here. It shows the quality that he has.'
Images from Day 3 of the first Test between India and New Zealand in Kanpur, on Saturday
Riding on Rohit Sharma's fluent 82, India emerged stronger in the battle of attrition against a gritty New Zealand to take complete control of the second cricket Test by grabbing a 339-run lead, on day three of the second Test at Eden Gardens on Sunday.
India are poised for their third T20 International series triumph in five years but would be wary of a strong fightback from the usually plucky New Zealand when the two sides clash in the second game of the three-match series in Rajkot.
Shikhar Dhawan's injury has unintentionally forced India to go for a tactical rejig despite convincing victories in the first two games against South Africa and Australia.
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.
Rajneesh Gupta presents the Chennai Super Kings record in the IPL over the years.
Facing the prospect of a series defeat at home for the first time in 15 months, skipper Virat Kohli will have a relook at his team combination as hosts India take on a resurgent England in a do-or-die second T20 International, in Nagpur on Sunday.
The immensely talented Shreyas Iyer enhanced his reputation of a finisher with a scintillating 29-ball-58, as India crushed New Zealand by six wickets in a high-scoring first T20 International in Auckland on Friday. Iyer built on KL Rahul's (56 off 27 balls) blazing start and Virat Kohli's useful 45 off 32 balls as India made short work of a 204-run target, knocking it off with an over to spare.
New Zealand made 152 for 1 in their first innings, when play was called off early because of rain, on Day 2 of the first cricket Test against India in Kanpur on Friday.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hailed his bowlers for the resounding series-clinching win over New Zealand in the fifth and final ODI in Visakhapatnam, describing it as "one of the best performances by the bowlers".
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 strive to play with the same grit they displayed in the second match in Pune when they square off against New Zealand in the third and final One-Day International of the series, in Kanpur, on Sunday.
Colin Munro and Corey Anderson blasted quickfire half-centuries to power New Zealand to a convincing victory against Sri Lanka in the warm-up match of the ICC World Twenty20, at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, on Thursday.
Bruised and battered by India after being bundled out for a meagre 79 while chasing 270 in the series-deciding fifth and final ODI here, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson termed the performance of his batting department as "frustrating". Williamson said the Kiwi batsmen did not justify to lose eight wickets for just 16 runs. "That's what's so frustrating, because we failed as a batting unit. The spinners of the Indian side bowled very well but I don't think it is justified to lose 8 wickets for 16 runs. We need to look at some of our plans. There was turn in the pitch in some other games too but we were able to handle it better then," Williamson said after their massive 190-run defeat in the fifth and final ODI in Vizag.
'But Guptill played a brilliant innings in that partnership with Kane, built a lot of momentum.'
Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara eye top 10 places while Ravindra Jadeja jumps to career-best third position among Test all-rounders.
Rajneesh Gupta presents statistical summary of Chennai Super Kings and much more.
New Zealand batsmen showed clinical efficiency in a tricky chase to spoil Virat Kohli's milestone match with a comfortable six-wicket victory over India in the opening One-Day International, in Mumbai on Sunday.
"The ebbs and flows of the game made it such a good one for the spectators. It was just unfortunate we came out on the other side of it."
