Skipper Williamson cleared to play; spinner Patel included in 15-man squad
Conway's 78 from 108 balls on a grassy pitch gave the hosts a flying start
Smith was miffed after the umpire's decision to term the delivery of New Zealand paceman Neil Wagner as 'dead ball'
Former New Zealand fast bowler Shane bond reckons all teams will now identify Jasprit Bumrah, who went wicket-less in the just-concluded T20I series, 'as a risk and attack others'.
With Kane Williamson likely to miss the Test, New Zealand will have a lot of work to do in the 3rd Test in Sydney.
Tom Latham led New Zealand out on the field in Sydney on Friday in the absence of unwell Kane Williamson. Australia won the toss and decided to bat first. IMAGES from Day 1 of the 3rd Test between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney on Friday
The Indian-born 29-year-old, New Zealand's top domestic wicket-taker in the past three seasons, replaces all-rounder Mitchell Santner who is still recovering from knee surgery.
Williamson's elbow injury kept him out of a Test match in India in December and home series against South Africa and Bangladesh.
New Zealand paceman Kyle Jamieson is likely to play only in the opening pink ball Test against England in the two-match series as staff take a cautious approach with the recovering quick.
The opening day of the ICC World Test Championship final between India and New Zealand was called off due to persistent rain, in Southampton, on Friday.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 3rd Test played between England and New Zealand at Headingley on Friday.
Brook has now scored four centuries in his past five Tests
India and New Zealand will lock horns in the finals of WTC at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton
Images from Day 2 of the first Test between Australia and New Zealand in Perth on Friday
Jasprit Bumrah jumped six spots to fourth but struggling star batter Virat Kohli slipped to ninth
The hosts, who won the first Test in Hamilton by an innings and 134 runs, scored 460 in their first innings with Henry Nicholls notching his highest Test score of 174.
As curtains dropped on the third day of the first Test against New Zealand, England strengthened their stranglehold with Stuart Broad ripping through the Kiwi top-order at the Bay Oval.
For Kohli, a trophy-less cabinet doesn't do justice to the champion performer that he has been for a decade.
England trail New Zealand's first innings by 69 runs but need to survive the remaining 31 overs in the final session to stop the hosts from taking a 1-0 lead in the two match series.
Smith (900 points) is placed second behind New Zealand captain Kane Williamson (919).
Watling, who was initially a top-order batsman and part-time wicketkeeper when he first made the New Zealand side in 2009, moved one behind Adam Parore's national record as the hosts bowled Bangladesh out for 234 early in the final session.
Batsman Neil Broom has also been offered a contract after he was recalled to the national side following a lengthy absence to replace Ross Taylor while he recovered from eye surgery.
New Zealand will go into the final day of the first Test against Sri Lanka needing 257 runs for victory with nine wickets in hand.
India are welcome to subject Steve Smith to a bouncer barrage but the batsman is well-equipped to succeed
New Zealand's pace bowlers sparked a final session collapse to dismiss Pakistan for 230 and give them a 138-run victory in the second Test at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Tuesday, a win that also clinched a first series triumph over Pakistan since 1985. The visitors had set themselves up for an enticing final session pursuit for the 369 victory target having moved to 158 for one at tea, but a more attacking strategy and the second new ball swung the game back in New Zealand's favour.
Most of the Test squad and staff had been transferred to hotel quarantine where they will warm up for the two-Test series against England
Images from Day 2 of the first Test between New Zealand and South Africa in Christchurch on Friday.
IMAGES from Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test played between Australia and New Zealand at the MCG on Saturday.
KL Rahul dropped two places to be sixth while Virat Kohli remained static on 10th in the batters' list.
Joe Root ended a poor run of form when he scored his 17th Test century and led England to 269-5 before rain ended play early on the third day of the second Test against New Zealand, at Seddon Park in Hamilton, on Sunday.
New Zealand conjured up a remarkable victory for the second time in two weeks by chasing down a target of 285 runs on the final ball of the rain-shortened final day to beat Sri Lanka by two wickets.
Pakistan's weakened pace attack in the absence of injured Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah, didn't offer a challenge to Conway and Latham with the new ball as both batters took New Zealand to 41-0 by tea before adding 124 more runs in the final session.
Ahead of the India-New Zealand series, Rajneesh Gupta looks at the Black Caps' Test records.
Australia's batting mainstay Steve Smith dared the lethal Indian fast bowling unit to bring on the short stuff in the four-match Test series starting next month.
New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson is aware that the challenge of playing Test cricket in India will be different from what it is back home, his enviable record notwithstanding.
New Zealand's bowlers ripped through the West Indies tail after lunch on the fourth day of the first Test in Wellington on Monday to record an innings and 67-run victory and take a 1-0 lead in their two-match series.
All-rounder Colin de Grandhomme struck a belligerent half-century to steady New Zealand in the second Test on Saturday after South Africa's seamers torched the home side's top order during a see-sawing Day 2 in Christchurch.
IMAGES from the first Test played between South Africa and India in Centurion on Tuesday
The tourists had resumed on 30-1 on Monday and then lost four wickets for 13 runs before Rizwan and Fawad Alam stopped the rot with a cautious partnership of just 28 runs in 17 overs.
James Pattinson grabbed three wickets to brighten Australia's prospects of a comprehensive victory in the second Test against New Zealand with the hosts reeling at 121 for four by the end of the third day on Monday.
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