A victory at Hagley Oval to seal a 2-0 series sweep would also push the Black Caps firmly into contention for one of two berths in June's inaugural ICC World Test Championship final at Lord's.
What went wrong for India in the World Test Championship Final against New Zealand?
Pakistan were 30-1 at stumps on Day 2, still 401 runs behind New Zealand's 431 in the first innings.
An unbeaten Joe Root century and a bowling masterclass by James Anderson put England in complete control of the second Test on Saturday.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is excited to face India in the ICC World Test Championships (WTC) final next month as he considers showdowns against Virat Kohli's men to be a 'fantastic challenge'.
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.
New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor has returned to side after recovering from eye surgery in late November and will rejoin the Test team for their two-match series against Bangladesh. Taylor had surgery to remove a pterygium, or growth, on his left eye that had affected his vision after the second Test victory against Pakistan in Hamilton. "It's great to have Ross back," New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen said in a statement on Thursday. "He has a phenomenal record that speaks for itself and he's coming off a terrific hundred in his last Test.
The squad for the two Tests against India is set to be named on February 17, with the opening match starting four days later in Wellington on February 21.
The England attack were heavily criticized in media back home for their lack of penetration
Dean Elgar made the most of being dropped early in his innings to score his seventh Test century and anchor South Africa's 229 for four at the close of play on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand in Dunedin on Wednesday.
An unwell Trent Boult skipped the New Zealand cricket team's training session at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Monday, staying away from the squad as a precautionary measure. The left-arm pacer is among eight players including Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner, who are attending the first half of the camp that started on Sunday.
The hosts ended the day on 144-4 and Henry Nicholls (26) and BJ Watling (six) will resume in Mt. Maunganui on Saturday to try and eat into their 209-run deficit after England were dismissed for 353 after lunch 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.
Ferguson, who will need five to six weeks to recover, is returning to New Zealand and a replacement for him will be named on Tuesday, coach Gary Stead told reporters on Monday.
South Africa slid to 105 for six on the third day of the second and final test against New Zealand on Monday but were still firmly in command at Centurion, holding a 372-run lead. After bowling the Kiwis out for 214, the hosts did not enforce the follow-on as the pitch is getting more and more difficult for the batsmen. New Zealand's bowlers took six wickets in the last session of the day with only stand-in opener Quinton de Kock (50) offering any resistance as Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, captain Faf du Plessis and Stiaan van Zyl went cheaply.
India retained their number one spot and captain Virat Kohli remained static at second in the ICC rankings. India have 116 rating points, six more than New Zealand with third-placed Australia accumulating 108 points.
Doull said New Zealand were definitely benefited by the two games against England ahead of the marquee clash.
New Zealand coach Gary Stead expected India would be more competitive in the second match in Christchurch.
New Zealand pacer Trent Boult is hopeful that achieving game fitness rather than bowling in the nets will put him in 'good stead' in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship final against India.
Pujara was placed sixth, down one rung, with 791 points, while Rahane occupied the ninth spot after slipping a couple of positions with 759 points.
IMAGES from Day 4 of the 3rd Test played between England and New Zealand at Headingley on Sunday.
The New Zealand team management knows what lies ahead for their players during the next six weeks in India, and it was no surprise that the spin troika of leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, off-spinner Mark Craig and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner bowled a lot during a two-hour nets session at the Kotla in Delhi on Wednesday.
Craig Ervine scored a maiden Test century to help Zimbabwe hold up New Zealand's victory charge on day three of the second Test and steer the home side to 305 for six in their first innings by stumps on Monday.
Uncapped opening batsman Jeet Raval has been named in New Zealand's Test squad for their tour of southern Africa in August, New Zealand Cricket said on Friday.
Former Australian captain, Ian Chappell, one of the game's biggest analysts for many years now, believes India has been well served by fast bowlers such as Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
Trent Boult took two quick wickets after lunch to help New Zealand complete a 122-run victory over Sri Lanka on the fifth day of the first Test at University Oval in Dunedin on Monday.
Corey Anderson smashed his first Test century as New Zealand reached 419 for eight against Bangladesh to take a first innings lead of 137 on the third day of the second and final Test in Dhaka on Wednesday.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continued to be the best-placed Indians in the batting chart, while off-spinner Ravichandra Ashwin held on to second spot among bowlers in the latest ICC Test Player ranking, release on Wednesday.
The victory was New Zealand's fifth Test series win in succession and all the more remarkable with the entire first two days of play washed out.
Former Australia bowling ace Glenn McGrath says it will be tougher to bowl to Steve Smith once he gets a start.
Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar's devastating five-wicket haul after a late batting blitzkrieg put India firmly in command as they reduced a hapless New Zealand to 128 for 7 on the rain-hit second day of the second cricket Test, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
India's pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who has been sidelined with injury fell to sixth in the latest ICC Test rankings, Starc up to career-best fifth spot.
I am really happy what we could achieve as a team. If you know me, at no stage of my career has personal glory been important. The milestones (2442 runs in a year as opener) are fine but winning every series is what we focus on, says Rohit, who is keen on winning a big ICC event before hanging up his boots.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam has surpassed India's Virat Kohli in becoming the world No.1 T20I batter for the longest period of time after he maintained his top spot in the latest ICC T20 batting rankings.
Shakib Al Hasan stroked the highest individual score for Bangladesh and combined with Mushfiqur Rahim in a record partnership on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve on Friday.
Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara guided India to 87 for one to leave the first Test against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland delicately poised at the end of a tumultuous third day.
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.
New Zealand's bowlers kept chipping away at the wickets to reduce India to 239 for seven on Day 1 of the second Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, on Friday. The 24-year-old from Christchurch, who replaced Ish Sodhi, dismissed Shikhar Dhawan (1) and Murali Vijay (9) in the first 50 minutes in his brilliant first spell of 6-2-14-2 as the Kiwis seamers utilised the grassy condition to full effect after Kohli opted to bat.
The sour taste of a 10-wicket loss to New Zealand in the first Test was a good lesson for India's cricketers and there is no doubt they will be far more competitive in the second in Christchurch, coach Ravi Shastri said.
After dream debut against India, New Zealand's imposing pacer Kyle Jamieson wants to establish himself as an all-rounder.
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